Nancy worked for more than 30 years in sales and marketing at such companies as Discover Card, Make a Wish Foundation of America, Mobil Oil Corporation and many others. She studied non-profit management at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Nancy has enjoyed a long history of both leading and training leaders of small spiritual reflection groups, and witnessing the transformational power of these groups.

Nancy Paradiso 

Board Chair

Brother Will brings to Sacred Ground Chicago a rich background in business administration and non-profit leadership. His current work within the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago focuses on supporting faith communities as they seek to deepen their own spirituality while serving the needs of others. He belongs to a contemplative religious community rooted in the Episcopal monastic tradition but which broadly explores human spirituality through all the perennial wisdom teachings. He hopes that his work will help foster a greater sense of spiritual awareness and dialogue in the broader human community.

William White, C.M.J.

Board Vice-Chair

Lieve (LEE-va) Buzard is delighted to be involved with Sacred Ground! A member of St. James Episcopal Cathedral, Lieve is involved in the music and young adult ministries, participates in Invite Welcome Connect, and Education for Ministry. She actively volunteers as Head Proctor with the Royal School of Church Music summer course in Charlotte, NC.  Lieve is a Client Service Associate with The Alford Group, a national nonprofit consulting firm. Her work at The Alford Group includes Strategic Planning, Board Engagement, Development Assessments, Campaign Feasibility Studies, and Campaign Counsel. She has a B.A. from Princeton University and graduate coursework from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Lieve Buzard

Director of Development

Menachem is a role-playing game designer, spiritual director, and founding rabbi of the Mitziut Jewish Community and the Black Rock JCC. He earned a graduate certificate in Spiritual Direction from Loyola University and Rabbinic ordination from Hebrew Seminary. He has extensive training in trauma-informed care, LGBTQ competency, harm reduction, and youth work, on which he has presented numerous times. He also presents on gaming and spirituality, including at the Spiritual Directors International 2020 conference. From 2014-2019 he served on the board of Urban CPE Consortium. Menachem was recognized as one of America’s 36 most inspiring rabbis by the Forward newspaper in 2016.  Most important, he’s a dad.

Menachem Cohen, MFA

Director At Large

Tim is a retired senior executive in the fields of advertising and marketing with, among others, J. Walter Thompson, Bozell & Jacobs, and Peapod, where he was responsible for all aspects of e-merchandising for America’s leading Internet grocer. Tim has taught at Northwestern University, Medill School Of Integrated Marketing Communications, where he offered a graduate level course in Shopper Marketing.

Tim Dorgan

Director of Advertising and Public Relations

The practice of seeking spiritual guidance is found in all the world’s wisdom traditions. My work as a spiritual director is informed by my experience as a life-long seeker who has studied and practiced contemplative Christianity, Buddhism, and contemporary forms of spirituality. Individuals who come to me are often living outside the boundaries of a traditional religion – often, blending traditions or identifying as spiritual but not religious. It’s my practice to hold a safe and sacred space during sessions for whatever the seeker would like to share. In this space, seekers can experience spiritual deepening, insight, clarity, and healing. My formal training in spiritual direction was through the Institute for Spiritual Leadership (Chicago, 2005). I also teach integral spirituality, offer mindfulness-based business coaching, and lead workshops in Chicago and online.

Bill Epperly, PhD

Director At Large

Brian serves as both a spiritual director and a retreat leader throughout the United States and Canada. A former Benedictine monk, Brian is now lead pastor of Church of Our Saviour, a thriving Episcopal Church in Chicago. Since arriving in Chicago from his native Ontario, Canada in 1985, Brian has been involved in community-based programs including the Aids Pastoral Care Network and Demico Youth Services in Cabrini Green. Brain holds an M.Div. from Huron University in London, Ontario. 

Brian Hastings

Director of Mission

Melissa is a licensed clinical psychologist and has a private practice in Evanston focused on psychological intervention and treatment, professional consultation, teaching, leading seminars and retreats for individuals seeking the sacred. She is also a storyteller at venues in the Chicago area, and loves to facilitate pop-up story circles. Melissa holds a PsyD from the Chicago School Of Professional Psychology.

Melissa Perrin, PsyD

Director of Programs

Dean Niedenthal taught elementary school on the far south side of Chicago for 25 years. Dean holds both a Masters in Theatre from Northwestern University and a Masters in Education from Roosevelt University. He is currently completing the first part of a dual degree, Master in Christian Spirituality (Spiritual Direction) while working towards his Master of Divinity at Loyola University Chicago. Dean currently works as a chaplain at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (Park Ridge), and is part of the Youth Ministry Team at Saint James Episcopal Cathedral in Chicago.

Dean Neidenthal

Director At Large