Enso House Board of Directors
President: David Daiku Trowbridge, PhD was trained in physics and had a career in education and software development. He has been a Zen student of Shodo Harada Roshi since 2000. He and his wife Cynthia established the non-profit Tinyblue Foundation which offered the property to Enso House for fulfilling its mission of end-of-life care. He is the author of the book, Enso House: Caring for each other at the end of life.
Vice-President: Mark Wicks, PhD Compassion for those who are suffering has been a part of me from a very young age. Compassion for students with special needs who were bullied led me, as a high school student, to organize a Special Olympics team in my hometown. It’s why I became a social worker. Reading about cancer patients who suffered during treatments and while dying inspired me to complete my MSW and gain the necessary skills to work in oncology and hospice for the next twenty years in the Puget Sound area. My work took an unexpected, but rewarding, turn over the following twenty years when I began advising medical students about career decisions and coping with the stressors of training, including negative encounters with their physician teachers and mentors.
Being present, intentional listening, and compassion are values which sustain meaning in my life day to day. Enso House provides me an opportunity, in retirement, to return to my commitment to be available to ease suffering for the people who are dying and their family or friends who are grieving.
Treasurer: Cynthia MyoKan Trowbridge has worked in numerous social service capacities over the years. The care and nurturing of families, from birth to death, has been a passion that has informed Cynthia’s personal, professional and volunteer choices. She currently serves as volunteer coordinator for Enso House.
Secretary: Sarah Trowbridge
Sarah Trowbridge is a musician, gardener, and software engineer living in Seattle. Throughout her career, Sarah has been dedicated to creating spaces where everyone feels heard, valued, and supported. Whether through community and union organizing, civic technology projects, or professional endeavors, Sarah has consistently worked to break down barriers and amplify voices that are often marginalized or overlooked.
Recognizing the importance of ensuring dignity and respect for caregivers, Sarah was drawn to joining the Enso House board as an extension of her commitment to inclusivity. Sarah aims to make meaningful contributions to improve support for caregivers by advocating for policies and practices that prioritize the needs of the diverse community of caregivers that exist in the Pacific Northwest.
Ed Lorah, LICSW, has worked in hospice care in the Seattle area since 1993. First as a home-based clinical social worker with Providence Hospice of Seattle, then as clinical manager at Bailey Boushay House, a nationally recognized HIV/AIDS care facility in Seattle. He currently serves as Clinical Specialist for Group Health’s Home Care and Hospice programs.
Charles Terry, JD has worked as a corporate lawyer, community/poverty lawyer and law professor. He founded the Urban Law Program at NYU Law School. He co-founded and served for many years as Executive Director of The Door, a comprehensive health, mental health, social services and arts center for teenagers in New York City. He also worked for many years as a philanthropic and organizational advisor and retreat facilitator for non-profits, foundations and wealthy families, including serving as Director of Philanthropy for the Rockefeller family.
Tim Taigan Tattu, BFA, BSN RN Before moving to Sogenji in 2000 to practice zen under Shodo Harada Roshi, Tim worked in Los Angeles as an Art Director. After completing a year and four months of training at Sogenji, Tim was asked by Chi-san to live at Tahoma One Drop Zen Monastery and participate in the founding of Enso House. In addition to serving on the team that developed the facilities of Enso House, Tim became one of its first caregivers.
The profound experience of offering care at Enso House inspired Tim to enroll in nursing school at the University of Washington. Upon graduation he returned home, where he spent eight years as a RN on an Oncology/Hematology, Infectious Disease unit at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Tim remains committed to caring for people at end of life and serves on the Board at Enso House.
Debra Richardson was introduced to Enso House in 2005 when caring for her mother who was dying of a terminal cancer. She has continued as a volunteer since then, serving meals to the staff and guests. She has also helped with various fundraising events. Debra is proud to say that the Enso House was her mother’s last gift to her.
Elise Miller, MEd has 25 years of experience directing nonprofits with national and international reach focused on the impact of toxic pollution on human health and the environment. She has been practicing vipassana mediation for over 30 years and first met Shodo Harada Roshi at Commonweal, when she was executive director of the Jenifer Altman Foundation in the 1990s. Elise now lives with her family in a home that is within walking distance to Enso House through some lovely wooded trails.