Honorary Founders - Mumbai Group
In Memoriam
Alan Scherr 1950-2008
Naomi Scherr 1995-2008
Linda Ragsdale is an author and illustrator of Children’s books. She left her corporate career to start a design and marketing company in the home entertainment field, establishing herself as an award-winning designer and garnering a patent design for a pop-up display. Linda’s first book, Creative Cardboard: Making Fabulous Furniture, Amazing Accessories and Other Spectacular Stuff, was a book of the month selection. When her children were school age, her consistent volunteer work helped her establish the roots of the drawing method demonstrated in her five volume book series. In 2009, she received the Young Voices Foundation Award for mentoring young writers and readers. While recovering from her wound from the Mumbai attacks, Linda established The Peace Dragon project and website, hoping to inspire peace through global artworks.
Michael Rudder is a popular Canadian actor, and a studio director for voice recording. He is also a certified teacher of Synchronicity High-Tech Meditation, which he has practiced for nine years. His appreciation for the sacredness of all life has only increased since he began practicing meditation. He credits meditation and holistic lifestyle for the appreciable increase in the amount of happiness he feels in his life.
Helen Prema Connolly is the founder of Ah Yogahh… Yoga and Meditation Sanctuary in Markham, Ontario. She has been teaching Integral Yoga for over 12 years. Helen was the first Canadian graduate of the Synchronicity Teacher Certification Training Program at Synchronicity, Foundation for Modern Spirituality, and was the first to offer Synchronicity Hi-Tech Meditation classes in Canada, which she has been teaching since 2005. She is on the Board of Advisors of Synchronicity Foundation. Born in Ireland, she lives with her husband, two children and yogi dog, in Toronto, Canada.
Phil Duncan is President of Synchronicity Foundation for Modern Spirituality. He is a retired physician and lives in Nellysford, Virginia with his wife, Patty.
Patty Duncan is a long-term associate of Synchronicity Foundation where she serves as a member of the Board of Advisors and a volunteer. She lives in Nellysford, Virginia with her husband, Phil, and their two dachshunds, Kali and Tara.
Bonnie Sullivan has been an associate with Synchronicity Foundation since 1994. She is a Certified teacher of Synchronicity Hight-Tech Meditation, and an active member within the Synchronicity community. She has been a certified massage therapist and massage teacher for many years. She is currently living in the Tidewater area of VA, where she actively promotes meditation and holistic lifestyle.
Joseph A. Slicker was born in 1920. He was an army officer during WWII and took part in the Iwo Jima invasion. The psychological toll of the war drove him into the Presbyterian Ministry, to graduate from a Seminary, and take a Parish. After a year of success, he saw himself as a fraud and began to work out side of the established church. The years that followed included work with college students, The Ecumenical Institute, non-religious groups such as The Institute of Cultural Affairs and eventually included a ten year stay in the expanding ghetto in the West side of Chicago. His group eventually finalized a family Order with rules of discipline and development models for local renewal. They expanded to 44 countries ranging from third world villages to small communities such as small colleges, hospitals, businesses, departments of cities. In 1979 Joe attended his first formal course on Meditation. In mid 1990, he discovered Synchronicity High-Tech Meditation and Master Charles. In 1998, he began attending Synchronicity retreats and continues to do so on a regular basis
John Slicker - is a licensed Massage Therapist, a certified Core Energetics Therapist, and a Medical Qi-Gong Practitioner. He resides in Palm Beach, California.
Larry Koftinoff began his association with Master Charles and Synchronicity over 20 years ago. From his first meeting, he knew that Master Charles was an authentic master. Master Charles guidance over the years has provided him with a framework and insight into the subtleties of the evolutionary process resulting in the radical transformation of his life. Larry has been privileged to have met many great teachers and masters, and Master Charles stands with the few that are truly inspiring, and have the visionary insight and the ability to touch all those he comes into contact with. Larry feels that the recent events in Mumbai that led to the formation of the One Life Alliance are part of the progressive and necessary developments of our time, for this is exactly what is needed to connect all of humanity in these days of rapid change and evolutionary growth, and he feels privileged and honored to stand with these people.
Bernie Koftinoff has had the honor of being associated with Master Charles for many years. As a young mother of three children he guided her to an awareness of each moment with her children through wakeful meditation. Having used Synchronicity High-Tech Meditation to enhance her practice has helped Bernie attain ease in stillness balance and clarity. During the Mumbai attacks, Bernie was able to stay aware in each moment and fully experience the omnipresent fear that arose, thus releasing it. She knows this was her saving Grace, as she carries no residual from the event. Bernie joins wholeheartedly with One Life Alliance and the Synchronicity Foundation in their goal to honor the Sacredness of all Life, the one golden thread that universally connects us all.
Peggi Sturm has been seeker of spiritual growth and world peace for over 35 years. Starting with a love of languages, she developed her skills at translating differences for people in philosophy, communication and in knowledge bases. Peggi serves small business owners, helping them manage the administrative and financial aspects of their business, while helping them expand their consciousness. For 19 years, she has been the Executive Director of her Jewish Renewal Community producing all of their events. She has had the honor and privilege of serving and studying with many great masters. She has been a meditator with Master Charles for almost 25 years. Peggi is the proud mother of her 24 year old son, Josh.
Vinka Clemmett had the honor of spending the last few precious days of the lives of Alan and Naomi Scherr with them in Mumbai. She is married to David Clemmett, who was also with her in Mumbai. They have a 10 year old daughter, Natasha. They live on the Sunshine Coast of Australia and are originally from New Zealand. She first came into contact with Master Charles and Synchronicity when she lived in Melbourne in the early 90’s. She says meditation has changed her life and has given her a clarity and awareness that she never thought possible. She will always be grateful to Master Charles for guiding her and teaching her that she is responsible for her own life. She is also grateful for the fellowship and support of the other Synchronicity participants with whom she shares a huge bond and will love forever.
Mureen Mills was born in Victoria Australia. She has three wonderful sons who are independent and have families of their own. About 12 years ago, at a very low point in her life, she was blessed to find Master Charles’ book The Bliss of Freedom. She has been meditating ever since with Master Charles’ Synchronicity High-Tech Meditation technology. She has attended many of his programs in Australia, Virginia and last year in Mumbai India. Mureen enjoys work as a developer, as it gives her opportunities to be very creative with the houses she builds. She has a very fulfilling life and is very grateful to Master Charles for all the help he has given her over the years.
Lisa Schwaber was a professional photographer for 8 years. Her husband, David, had a wholesale/retail jewelry business. Their friend, Peggi Sturm invited Lisa and David to hear Master Charles speak. That was the beginning of Lisa’s meditative journey. Today she lives in Virginia, four miles from the Synchronicity Sanctuary. She is a widow and has moved from the visual arts to the healing arts, as a practitioner of Shiatsu and other bodywork modalities. It is her privilege to assist the monks at Synchronicity, as well as meditation retreat participants, by providing them with massages. Lisa spends five afternoons per week volunteering for Synchronicity, answering phones and serving in whatever capacity she is able.
Miriam Broder was born in Israel of Polish, Russian parents. Her family migrated to Melbourne, Australia in 1958. She was educated in Melbourne and has been a teacher for 40 years. She has taught young children who are hearing impaired and those with multiple challenges. She has also taught high school children Hebrew and History. For 25 years she has taught adult migrants and refugees English as a second language. In her teaching career, she has always guided her students to empowerment whether it was linguistic, personal or cultural. She has been associated with Master Charles and Synchronicity Foundation since 1991
Amy Savitri Venezian Right out of high school in Queens, New York Amy started working on 5th Ave as a model. She attended college in New Rochelle and received her Montessori Teacher certification. She relocated to Virginia 20 years ago and became a student of Integral Yoga in Buckingham, Virginia and received Yoga Teacher certification for special needs children. Amy also has a dance background. Her personal interests are her spiritual practices; meditation, yoga, writing and art. She is a mother of five and grandmother of three.
Phyl Graham is a retired nurse. She is a volunteer with Community Hospice and the inpatient Palliative Care Unit where she was formerly employed. Phyl is married with five children and nine grandchildren. She has been a meditator for 40 years, the past 15 being with Synchronicity High-Tech Meditation. The Mumbai experience demonstrated that in the midst of seeming chaos, love predominated. She feels this was clearly modeled by Master Charles Cannon. Phyl left Mumbai with the words of Gandhi as her mantra: you have to be the change you want to see in the world.
Carol Kaliski Wise is the creator of Chakra-Tuned Quartz Crystal Singing and Healing Bowls. She began practicing Yoga in 1966, after the birth of her third child. She went to India for the first time in 1970 to meet the famous Swami Muktananda Paramahansa and met Master Charles Cannon shortly thereafter. She is a founding member of Synchronicity Foundation and currently serves on its Board of Advisors. Carol was born in Houston and has three children and five grand children.
Ben Radtke has been a monastic resident at the Synchronicity Sanctuary for 5 years. For the last 3 years he has served as Master Charles personal assistant. He truly feels he has the best job a human being could have, not only for the immense empowerment that comes from spending most of his waking hours in direct proximity to his teacher, but also the dynamic and exciting experiences that result. Ben is very enthusiastic about the impact that Synchronicity and One Life Alliance are bringing to the world.
Steve Ross has practiced yoga for almost thirty years and has been an instructor for over twenty years. He has extensively explored the physical, philosophical and spiritual roots of yoga. He spent four years as a monk in the Vedic tradition, and since that time, he has ceaselessly sought out and reveled in the presence of some of the most notable masters of our time. Steve records and tours with Krishna Das and has recorded his own kirtan album called “Grace is the Name of the Game”. He has been chanting for over 20 years, and his chants are known to produce a state of intoxicating euphoria. Steve was named "Guru of Los Angeles" by Vanity Fair Magazine, he also the host of the yoga show, "Inhale", on Oprah Winfrey's Oxygen Network.
