Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education: Statement on the Departure of the CEO

Fiona Douglas-Crampton, President & CEO of the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education

The Dalai Lama Center and Board Members are announcing that effective May 2022, our President and CEO Fiona Douglas-Crampton is leaving to start the next chapter in her career (and in the short term she is looking forward to some much-deserved travel and spending time with her family). Over the last 8 years under Fiona's leadership, the DLC has significantly increased its impact in our community and the number of children and youth we reach. She has built a strong team who have positioned the DLC as a highly trusted partner and resource for educators and parents in the field of social and emotional learning (SEL).

We are saddened to see her leave, but we are grateful for her tireless efforts in cultivating and growing our impact and reach since 2014. Over the past 3 years, the Center has supported the SEL development of over 1.5 million children and youth through the adults in their lives, and last year alone, this reach included 700,000 kids.

Under Fiona’s leadership, the Center has experienced considerable growth in programming and an augmented capacity to influence and support schools and communities locally, nationally and internationally. She has been instrumental in cultivating key relationships with renowned world leaders in the field of SEL, thus contributing to the successful launch of five  highly acclaimed Heart-Mind Conferences and six Heart-Mind Live Webinars–no easy feat given much of this work was accomplished amidst the turbulence of leading a not-for-profit organization through an unprecedented pandemic. Through her vision, tenacity and unwavering commitment to the Center’s mission of educating children’s hearts, Fiona’s legacy leaves a lasting impact on children and youth across the globe.

As Fiona remarks, “I am so proud of how the DLC has evolved over the past 8 years and where it sits right now. It is the favorable state of our organization that has helped me make this difficult decision. Thanks to our committed Board Trustees and a very solid operational team whose dedication, commitment and expertise have brought Heart-Mind well-being to thousands of people’s lives, together we have ensured that the DLC's programs, initiatives, administration and financial management are all in very good standing. I feel that the DLC is now poised to enter an exciting period in its history, and that now is the time to make room for new leadership with a fresh vision, ideas and energy. My time with the DLC has been the most meaningful and fulfilling time of my career and I will take the lessons I've learned and all the great relationships with me in my heart as I look forward to new adventures."

“Fiona has led a committed team, each of whom plays an integral role in the everyday running of our successful not-for-profit organization,” says Mary McNeil, Chair of the Board of Trustees. “Fiona leaves the DLC in a very strong position for future growth and we sincerely thank her for her strong leadership and contributions. She will be missed."

We have begun our search for a new President and CEO, and look forward to welcoming the right person who will help take the Dalai Lama Center into a strong and bright future.