Maintaining integrity and vision

Ralph White

Ralph White is president of the New Center for Holistic Learning NY. A writer, speaker and organizer, he was co-creator of the New York Open Center where his vision guided its direction and programs for over three decades. Since 1995, he has led the Esoteric Quest series of international events and journeys. In the same year, he co-founded the Art of Dying conferences that have since evolved into the Art of Dying Institute. He is the author of the memoir, The Jeweled Highway: On the Quest for a Life of Meaning. ralphwhite.net

Tom Valente

Tom Valente provides oversight, guidance and program development for the Art of Dying Institute. For over 30 years Tom has been at the forefront of transformative and holistic education. From his role in the development of the Omega Institute to his role as President of the Global Academy Foundation, Tom has distinguished himself as one of the premier creators of innovative educational programs. He has developed programs for many national and international educational institutions including Imperial College London, the Smithsonian Institute, Beijing University, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, the Foreign Ministry of Panama, the Mayo Clinic, Michigan State University, the Albert Einstein Medical Center and AARP.

Nanette Schorr

Nanette Schorr is an attorney who has long been dedicated to representing and advocating on behalf of low-income communities. She is co-founder (with Peter Gabel) of the Project for Integrating Spirituality Law & Politics (spiritlawpolitics.org). PISLAP’s mission is to develop a spiritually-informed approach to law and social change, and to foster a legal culture which helps people recognize and affirm each other’s humanity. She has long been engaged with efforts to develop social and community wholeness, through processes such as restorative practices, mediation, and healing-centered education.

Robert McDermott

Robert McDermott, Ph.D., is president emeritus of the California Institute of Integral Studies, where he also headed the graduate program in Philosophy, Cosmology and Consciousness. A former chair of the philosophy department at Baruch College, CUNY, he is the author of Steiner and Kindred Spirits and editor of The Essential Aurobindo and The New Essential Steiner. He is currently writing a book on death and the afterlife in world religions, with special reference to the spiritual research of Rudolf Steiner.