We are delighted to welcome Dr. Jeri Krogh Sides to the BCBS Board of Directors.
A longtime friend of BCBS, Jeri has been practicing and studying here since 1998, when she took her first course on Buddhist psychology. Over the decades, she has become a familiar and beloved presence on campus, returning regularly for retreats and programs that integrate study and practice—the combination she says first drew her to BCBS.
“I think I’m drawn to BCBS because of the combination of study and practice,” Jeri shared in a past reflection. “It’s given me a chance to learn in community—about many Buddhist traditions, all taught by an extraordinary group of visiting teachers. Each time I turn down Lockwood Road, I feel like I’m coming home.”
Jeri is a retired clinical psychologist living in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. She has served on the board of the Open Door Meditation Community in Portland, where she continues to contribute through committee work. Her primary teachers have included Bhikkhu Anālayo, Mu Soeng, and Rodney Smith, and she also practices at the Forest Refuge in Barre.
In addition to her Dharma commitments, Jeri is an active member of Third Act Southern Maine, advocating for climate action and clean-energy policies. She enjoys yoga, book groups, and spending time with her three spirited grandchildren.
For Jeri, BCBS represents both refuge and renewal. “The study center has transformed my life,” she reflected. “It’s where my practice is nurtured and nourished—a place of kindness, generosity, and inclusion. What great good fortune is that?”
Please join us in warmly welcoming Jeri Sides to the BCBS Board of Directors. We are grateful for her decades of connection, her wisdom as a psychologist and practitioner, and her deep care for the flourishing of the Dharma at BCBS.
