In May of this year, we began our new leadership model, which is detailed at the above link. Our three directors (Guiding Teacher, Communications & Marketing Director, and Fund Development & Finance Director) all report to the board of directors and work as a team. Meet our leadership team below:
Staff
-
Sosan Theresa Flynn (she/her)
Sosan@cloudsinwater.org
Guiding Teacher
She has studied and practiced Soto Zen Buddhism since 1992, receiving dharma transmission (full teaching authority) from Joen Snyder O’Neal in 2012. Sosan's areas of teaching include body awareness in Zen, loving-kindness practices, and the intersection of Buddhist practice and racial justice. She has officiated at many ceremonies (daily & special liturgies, weddings, baby namings, and memorial services), and offers premarital and couples counseling. Sosan was raised Catholic and practiced Catholicism for many years before embracing Buddhism as her primary religion. She has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and has worked in both community mental health and staff training. Sosan and her husband of 36 years live a short distance from Clouds in Water.
For more information, see Sosan’s website.
-
Jinzu Minna Jain (they/them)
Communications and Marketing Director
Jinzu previously served on staff at Clouds in the roles of Executive Director and Administrative Assistant, and they are an ordained Sōtō Zen novice priest. Jinzu brings their ministerial training, institutional knowledge of Clouds, and extensive previous experience in marketing and communications, as well as systemic equity organization development to this role. Jinzu is an artist, writer, and racial equity educator. They identify as BIPOC, disabled, queer and nonbinary.
-
Cleve Miller (he/hlm)
Fund Development and Finance Director
Cleve has a 35-year international career leading mission-driven organizations in both the nonprofit and startup sectors. He founded an education technology company in Buenos Aires, which in 2010 became a joint venture with Cambridge University. In this role he led a two-year project in Saudi Arabia, implementing educational technology for the first vocational colleges for women in the country, which was a formative experience of reflection on identity, cultural power, and social justice.
Recently he served as executive director of the nonprofit community center Open Squash in New York City. Recently arrived in Saint Paul, he is launching a local B corp to make squash—and its physical, mental, and community health benefits—accessible to everyone, regardless of income or background.
After 25 years of intellectual interest with Zen, Cleve began a committed daily practice two years ago.