Tibet Fund Staff

Mr. Rinchen Dharlo, President: As President of Tibet Fund, Mr. Dharlo coordinates the efforts to help the Tibetan communities both in exile and within Tibet by executing the Board’s decisions, raising funds to support the Tibet Fund’s projects, and overseeing program implementation. Mr. Dharlo has thorough knowledge of and extensive experience working within the Tibetan community.  He served for ten years as His Holiness’ Representative in Nepal, where he established a number of Tibetan schools.  He also served for ten years as His Holiness’ Representative to the Americas where, in addition to his regular duties, he cochaired the Tibetan U.S. Resettlement Project which had successfully resettled 1,000 Tibetan refugees in 21 cluster sites throughout the United States.

Ms. Robyn Brentano, Executive Director: Robyn Brentano has worked in international development, human services, and the cultural arts for more than 25 years.  As The Tibet Fund’s Executive Director, she oversees operations and organizational development, supports the Board of Directors’ activities and the President’s fundraising efforts.  She has worked extensively with the Tibetan community on cultural preservation, media and health care programs both in exile and in Tibet.  Prior to joining The Tibet Fund, she was Vice President for Special Projects at Healing the Divide Foundation (HTD), a public charity founded by Richard Gere, and Vice President for Development at the New York Association for New Americans, one of the nation’s largest refugee resettlement and immigrant services organizations.

Ms. Tsering Yangdon, Program Director: Ms. Yangdon is the part-time program director of Tibet Fund.  She has a M.Sc. in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health and has worked with UNICEF in Nepal, with His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Bureau in New Delhi and in various state and local public health departments in the United States. She was also an Instructor in the School of Public Health at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Mr. Lobsang Nyandak, Director of Development: Mr. Lobsang Nyandak is responsible for resource development; grants and donor management; special events coordination; and developing marketing tools and strategies. As a former Cabinet Member of the Central Tibetan Administration, he was responsible for Department of Information and International Relations, Department of Finance, and Departement of Health.  Prior to his appointment to the Tibetan Cabinet, he worked as the founding Executive Director of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy and as a member of the Tibetan parliament.  He also worked in various Tibetan NGOs, in particular, Tibetan Youth Congress and National Democratic Party of Tibet.   

Mr. Tenzing Choephel, Tibetan Scholarship Program Co-ordinator:  An alumni of the Tibetan Scholarship Fulbright program, Mr. Choephel received an MPA from Monterey Institute of International Studies in 1996.  He has held various responsibilities in the exile Tibetan community in India, including helping to lay the foundation of the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy, where he worked as an Office Administrator / English Researcher for three years in Dharamsala.  At the Tibet Fund, Mr. Choephel coordinates the Tibetan Scholarship Fulbright Program and is responsible for helping to place the Fulbright students in various US universities as well as assisting the students with all their living and academic issues. 

Ms. Yangzom, Sponsorship Coordinator & Administrative Assistant:  Ms. Yangzom is a graduate of North Bengal University. She has worked for the Tibetan Government-In-Exile in various capacities for six years. At the Tibet Fund, she is an Administration Assistant and in charge of the Sponsorship program for Tibetan refugee's children, monks, nuns and seniors. She also assists bookkeeping and accounting.