Like so many organizations, this past year has been one of reflection and transformation at the Compassion Institute, and we have been fortunate to have Frank Martin as Executive Director leading the organization through these globally challenging times. Frank has been called to move on to other endeavors, and the entire board expresses our deep appreciation to Frank for his service during these unprecedented times. We wish him all the best in his new journey.

As part of the transition, I would also like to announce that Compassion Institute is thrilled to welcome our next Executive Director, Stephen Butler. Stephen is committed to our mission, and brings a wide range of skills and experience to his role, including most recently as director and producer of the secular meditation podcast “A Skeptic’s Path to Enlightenment” and program manager and engagement producer for the Tse Chen Ling Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies in San Francisco. For more than 25 years he was a producer and then Executive Producer of Canyon Records, a pioneering music company which brought Native American music to a global audience.

Accepting the Executive Director position, Stephen shares the following: “I am both thrilled and honored to be able to join Compassion Institute as Executive Director. I look forward to working with Dr. Jinpa, the CI team and the Board of Directors to enthusiastically steward CI’s mission forward. The tools of compassion training are especially needed in our increasingly complex world. I strongly believe that the Compassion Institute and our community of certified Compassion Cultivation Training instructors have the potential to contribute significantly towards personal and societal wellbeing, and help promote a kinder and a more understanding world for all.”

Thupten Jinpa

President, Compassion Institute