Fern Dorresteyn
Dharma Teacher, Program Director & Co-Founder of Morning Sun Mindfulness Center
Fern Dorresteyn has spent her life exploring more sustainable ways of living, personal transformation and the ideal of working with others to create positive change. As a young adult she traveled to Plum Village Monastery in France, together with her future husband Michael Ciborski, where they lived for nine years, seven of them as ordained Buddhist monastics. They were fortunate to live and work closely with Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh to offer meditation retreats around the world. In 2003 they returned to lay life and co-founded MorningSun.
Fern is a member of the Council of Elders of the North American Dharma Teachers Council (NADTC) in the Plum Village tradition and travels across the United States to lead retreats.. She has served multiple terms on the Board for the NADTC. Fern is currently the Program Director at Morning Sun, and is continuously learning as she brings the practice into her daily life with her community and her three children. She holds a Birth-to-Three WECAN recognized certificate from Sophia’s Hearth Early Childhood Center and is always seeking opportunities to support the well being of children and families.
Joaquin Carral
Joaquin is a physician who believes in the profound healing power of compassionate care and mindful presence. He serves his local community as a primary care physician in the Community Health Center of Franklin County and as the Medical Director of Keene Metro Treatment Center. Deeply inspired by the Plum Village tradition, Joaquin approaches his medical practice as an extension of his mindfulness training, utilizing deep listening and engaged action to support his patients. For him, giving to the world means building communities of practice, where healing happens naturally.
As a dedicated board member of the Morning Sun community, Joaquin brings a deep commitment to mindful living, compassionate care, and holistic well-being. Outside of his medical practice, he embraces an active, outdoor lifestyle through trail running, tennis, and snow sports. He also enjoys learning French and Portuguese, playing the piano, and spending time with his wife, Aurora, and their dog, Lola, at their home in Alstead, New Hampshire.
Laurie Rabut
Laurie enjoyed a creative, outdoor childhood with her parents and three siblings in Southern Connecticut, and spent her adult life studying, teaching and performing music in Boston and Western Massachusetts, including 32 years teaching in the Amherst schools. She borrowed a tape of Thich Nhat Hahn’s teachings from her local food coop in 1995, when her son was 5 years old, and has been on the Mindfulness practice path ever since. Laurie moved to Southern Vermont in 2014 to be near MorningSun while continuing to pursue her creative, community and musical projects. She is currently a board member and trainer with a local Restorative Community Justice organization and has experience serving on two other boards. Laurie brings organizational, relational and communication skills to the table along with a good measure of energy. She is grateful for every opportunity she has to practice with and support the MorningSun Mindfulness community here in Alstead!
Wayne Gersen
Wayne served for 29 years as a public school superintendent, concluding his career in 2011 after leading a district in Hanover NH and Norwich VT for seven years. After retiring, Wayne worked as an education consultant, assisting school boards and administrators with school district consolidation and collaboration issues. His interest in the Plum Village tradition began in 2004 when he and his wife, Gail Kuhl, attended the weekly Days of Mindfulness held at Green Mountain Monastery. Wayne and his wife live in Etna, NH and are members of the Heart of the Valley Mindfulness Practice Center. Wayne serves on several nonprofit boards, writes occasional op-ed pieces for the local newspaper, and writes a blog on public education policy issues. He and his wife have taught meditation courses for Osher’s adult education program and participated in choral groups in the Upper Valley.
Bruce Nichols
Bruce lives in Shelton, Connecticut and has had connections to MorningSun and MLI since 2006. He joined the MLI board in the fall of 2022. Bruce has a long history of nonprofit experience. He currently serves on the boards on The Shelton Land Conservation Trust and Friends of Peace Pilgrim. He previously also served on the board of the Siddhartha School Partnership helping that organization gain 501(c)(3) status. He continues to be a member of their advisory board. Prior to his nonprofit work, Bruce had an ownership interest in the Gordon Rubber Company of Derby, CT with involvement with manufacturing process, customer support, rubber chemistry, purchasing, and a management roll in the company’s profit-sharing plan. Bruce enjoys outdoor activities including walking, hiking, camping, and biking. Bruce has practiced in the Plum Village Tradition for 30 years and is a member of the Order of Interbeing. He received Lamp Transmission in 2018.