The Team
VEN SUNAM HLAMO, Dr. Brigitte Mayr
Director
“Happiness is when the bass starts to play” – isn’t this the perfect life theme for an ordained nun?”
Venerable Sunam is passionate and joyful in everything she does and mixes “rock ’n’ roll” with a touch of German efficiency. She is a licensed veterinarian, successful IT project/program manager, and has worked as a database specialist for international projects. As director she goes above and beyond to create a remarkable retreat experience for guests and retreat producers.
After decades of chasing her own happiness with egoism, hazardous sports, lots of work and not getting anywhere, Ven. Sunam discovered Dharma in 2005 by reading the Diamond Cutter by Geshe Michael Roach. Ever since she has been studying, teaching, and translating ancient texts with joy and happiness, transforming herself into a kinder person. Ven. Sunam has studied all 18 ACI Courses and 11 DCI Seminars, has attended nearly all LAM RIM Retreats and several Translator Terms. She is a certified ACI Senior teacher, and a certified Sivananda yoga teacher.
She fell in love with Diamond Mountain and the desert during her first visit in 2014 and has the passion to preserve the silence, nature, and magic of this exceptional place while transforming it into “the retreat” place for modern time.
How Karma and the Buddhist Principles have helped her:
Through applying the principles in my life: become a much happier person, be able to work part time in a management position, time & money to travel the world to attend teachings, having deeper fulfilling relationships with people, a loving relationship with my family esp. my mother after decades of tension.
LUKE ZERKLE
LUKE ZERKLEMaintenance Manager
Luke, a.k.a. ‘Master Luke’, has multiple trade skills coupled with the patience and dedication for problem-solving that are worthy of a true Jedi. As the youngest of 15 children growing up in a hard-working family of mechanics, welders, roofers, builders and backyard inventors, he naturally learned and assimilated many of these skills at a very early age.
Luke is a California native whose family moved to the quiet town of Bowie, Arizona in the late 80s. During a two-year stint in Las Vegas he worked at his brother’s successful roofing company, learning the trade and eventually becoming a foreman with his own work crew. Upon returning to Arizona in the late 90s, he met his life partner, Kaia. During the course of building their homestead in Bowie, he discovered the world of solar power and a talent for woodwork.
His sought-after skills led him to a relationship with Diamond Mountain Retreat Center in the early 2000s where he took part in many of the building projects leading up to the three-year retreat in 2010. He masterfully crafted the beautiful mesquite doors and windows in the intriguing Blue Sky dome. He felt an immediate sense of kindredness to the place and the people.
In 2019 he took on the position of facilities manager. Luke’s patience, compassion, love of nature, the pursuit of spiritual growth, and talent in multiple trades make him a perfect fit for the job. His mission at Diamond Mountain Retreat Center is to maintain a beautiful and comfortable environment for people to relax and enjoy their retreat experience.
Michael Palombo
Guest Service Manager
Michael has lived in the Southwest for all of his life. Originally from California, he moved to Arizona in search of more Nature. He holds an A.A. degree in philosophy and brings to Diamond Mountain experience from the public school system and in organic horticulture. He has volunteered extensively in our county area. In his leisure, one can find him enjoying fitness, literature, and strumming his guitar.
Michael found the Dharma in 2014 and has studied with several spiritual groups in Arizona. He traveled to Diamond Mountain to further integrate meditation and yoga practice into daily life. After years of attempting to follow the mainstream life script, religion has helped him understand better ways to invest in this world and find his authentic self.
DEE NTŠALA
DEE NTŠALAVolunteer/ Wildcard Manager
Lead with curiosity – always.
Dee brings both heart and strategy to everything she does. Originally from South Africa and now based in Arizona, by way of New York, she is a leadership and performance coach, consultant, and spiritual practitioner whose work weaves together personal growth, community, and global awareness. With a background guiding Fortune 500 leaders, entrepreneurs, and visionaries, she has a gift for reimagining success in ways that honor both soul and strategy.
Dee’s professional path has been as diverse as it is impactful. From consulting global organizations on leadership development and performance improvement, to creating thought leadership content that inspires curiosity and self-reflection; Dee brings a fresh voice and perspective. She is passionate about dismantling hierarchical systems and helping individuals step into heart-centered leadership that prioritizes wellness, collaboration, and responsibility.
Her journey with Dharma deepened through study of meditation, yoga, and sacred texts, and has been profoundly shaped by her time at Diamond Mountain. The silence and vastness of the desert reflect her own path of resilience and rebuilding, inspiring her devotion to creating spaces where others can grow, heal, and reconnect with their inner truth.
When she’s not supporting volunteers and projects at Diamond Mountain, Dee is writing and creating work that explores the radical power of self-love and the shift toward heart-centered leadership.
How Understanding Karma and the Buddhist Principles has helped her:
Applying Buddhist principles has allowed Dee to release old identities, embrace cycles of change with peace, and align her life with service. The four steps and compassion have transformed fear into faith, helped restore balance in relationships, and opened the door to a life of freedom, creativity, and joy; one that uplifts both herself and others.
JAYDEN CHANDLEE
JAYDEN CHANDLEELower Campus Manager
Don’t compare your life to others. There’s no comparison between the sun and the moon — they shine when it’s their time.
Jayden brings calm, warmth, and grounded presence to Diamond Mountain. Born and raised in Mesa, Arizona, she first discovered the retreat center through a local friend at the perfect moment – when she was looking for a change and Diamond Mountain was looking for someone with her steady, genuine energy.
As Lower Campus Manager, Jayden keeps the core of the property running smoothly. She cares for the main dining hall, the temple, guest spaces, and supports the housekeeping team. Her strengths in organization, customer service, and clear communication help create a welcoming environment for guests, volunteers, and retreaters.
Before joining Diamond Mountain, Jayden worked at her local grocery store and gas station throughout high school. Those roles gave her something people don’t always expect: a strong sense of patience, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. She learned how to stay calm under pressure, connect with all kinds of people, and take pride in creating clean, functional spaces – skills that translate beautifully into retreat life.
Jayden grew up in a Buddhist household, which naturally introduced her to Dharma from an early age. Her time at Diamond Mountain has deepened that foundation, opening her mind to different perspectives and belief systems. She continues learning through reading, reflection, and conversations with others on the path.
Friends and colleagues describe her as laid back, friendly, approachable, and genuinely personable. Although she may seem shy at first, those who get to know her quickly discover her chatty side and her sense of humor. Her small joys keep her grounded – reading, movies, time with friends, and time with her son.
Jayden hopes that everyone she meets at Diamond Mountain feels comfortable, welcomed, and leaves with a positive memory of their interaction. She blends her professional skills with her spiritual values by showing up when needed, staying considerate of others, and offering quiet support with sincerity.
How Understanding Karma and the Buddhist Principles has helped her:
Buddhist teachings have made Jayden more aware of the karmic impact of her actions. Practicing karma and compassion has helped her heal relationships outside of work and approach life with more ease. She feels less stressed than she once did and more grounded in the understanding that her actions can create happiness, peace, and connection both for herself and others.
JOHN DUTCHMAN
JOHN DUTCHMANVolunteer Maintenance & Caretaker
John feels responsible for all the things you might never notice at Diamond Mountain. He works behind the scenes to make every interaction a five-star experience for visitors when they are here. He likes to figure out tricky puzzles, loves efficiency, and being useful. If you want something done, ask him and be delighted that a short while later, it’s done.
His experience working at Taco Bell, Toyota, in the Army, warehousing, compressed gas industry, and CNC machining, gives him the broad range of experience that makes him ideal for working on the Diamond Mountain maintenance crew where there are myriad of challenges coming at you and you have to figure it out.
He likes the challenge of making eggs for large crowds, is an amateur photographer, and has an eclectic and ever-growing music collection. And, if you see him doing the dishes, leave him to it.
How Understanding Karma and the Buddhist Principles has helped him:
Serving by being useful and applying the Dharma to everyday life is what matters most to him despite completing the ACI courses and studying the Three Principle Paths. You will often hear him asks ‘to what end?’, causing you to pause and reflect. When asked about his greatest accomplishments he says: “If I died right now, I can say I stopped killing bugs intentionally”
JOE PERRIZO
JOE PERRIZOSteward & Volunteer
Joe has an engineering technology degree and worked in engineering for 30 years. He is also a veteran of the army and navy. Most importantly… he is a grandfather of 9!
In 2002 he came across Geshe Michael on the internet and followed his teachings until 2009. When he retired early at 57, he drove out to see Diamond Mountain in person where he worked with a lot very cool people building the retreat valley.
After volunteering at Diamond Mountain for two years he remembered he had a guitar at home in Wisconsin. The next time he came back he brought it along and has been entertaining us and working on his guitar skills ever since.
Joe loves the land is beautiful sparse that goes for miles and we love his calm, grounded energy and sense of humor.
He works with our maintenance team and takes care of our gnarly roads.