Board of Directors

Lucian Kragiel

FTBC President

Lucian has been the President of Florida Tibetan Buddhist Center since its inception in 1999, and has been practicing Karma Kagyu Buddhism for 20 years.

Lucian is owner and CEO of Atlantic Design Homes which has been awarded the highly prestigious Environmental Protection Agency’s “National Builder of the Year,” presented for his pioneering work in building energy efficient homes.

His company is also the recipient of numerous regional awards: the Grand Aurora Award for “Best Community in the Southeastern United States” as well as an Aurora for “Best Retirement Community.” Local awards include recognition for “Ethics in Business”, “Gainesville’s Best Builder” and Alachua County’s only designated “Clean Builder of the Year.”

Lucian has been living in Gainesville with his wife of 35 years, Suzanne, since 1982. They have two sons, a daughter-in-law and one grandchild on the way.

Lama David Bole

Resident Lama

Lama Losang/David Bole, completed the traditional three year retreat at Karme Ling Retreat Center under the direction of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche. He received getsul (intermediate) and gelong (full) ordination from Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.

He is currently serving as the Resident Lama for the Gainesville Karma Thegsum Choling and teaches ongoing classes in Buddhadharma and meditation. He is a licensed Acupuncture Physician, A.P. and Director of the Traditional Acupuncture Center in Gainesville, Florida. He has a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Florida.

Lama Losang is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, in Woodstock, New York.

Suzanne Stephens Kragiel

FTBC Secretary

Suzanne has been a student of Karma Kagyu Buddhism since its introduction in Gainesville in 1987 and has served for the last 10 years as secretary of Gainesville Karma Thegsum Choling.

She is a sculptor, artist and designer working in various media. Her largest body of work is a group of archetypal masks such as the samples shown above. She is an avid reader and is studying shamanic journeying.

Suzanne is also Design Director of Atlantic Design Homes, a design/build company for which she creates new home plans and works with clients on interior selections.

Gregory A. Jones

Greg is a professor at Santa Fe College, Gainesville, Florida where he teaches Biology Major and Animal Behavior and Ecology. He has degrees in Music (B.A.), Biology (B.S. & M.S.) and Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (Ph.D.).

He is directing the development of the Center for Mindfulness in Health and Education at Santa Fe College and currently working to become certified in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction at UMass Medical Center for Mindfulness. He is also enrolled in the University of Florida’s Mental Health Counseling program.

Greg is co-developer of “bSerene” application for iPhones and iPod Touch devices teaching mindfulness meditation. He has been practicing in the Karma Kagyu tradition for 5 years and is an assistant teacher at Gainesville Karma Thegsum Choling.

His hobbies are gardening, cooking and music.

David Pais

David was educated at Rollins College and The University of Florida, where he studied environmental ethics. He is Past President of The Florida Native Plant Society (1996-98), and was a founding member and president of its Gainesville chapter.

David is certified as an Arborist, a Landscape Designer, and Landscape Contractor and operates a design and consulting business which specializes in Ecological Restoration, Native Landscapes, and Habitat Enhancements throughout Florida & the Caribbean.

He is also a Licensed Real Estate Broker specializing in preserving and protecting the Native Landscape of Florida. David currently lives in Melrose, Fl.

Katie Sieving

Katie took refuge with Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche in 2003, and currently practices at the Gainesville Karma Thegsum Choling and with Reggie Ray (Dharma Ocean).

Katie teaches ecology at The University of Florida in Wildlife Ecology & Conservation. Her work, and that of her students, focuses on forest and biodiversity conservation currently in Chile, Sumatra, Brazil, and Florida.

She is a founding member and past President of Conservation Trust for Florida, and has served on the boards of the Florida Ornithological Society, Optics for the Tropics, and the Florida Bluebird Society. She hails from Norwell, Massachusetts and has resided for extended periods in California, Illinois, Alaska, and Panama.