Rev. Kaz Nakata, Kyoku-cho - was born in Japan and studied Buddhism at Ryukoku University, Kyoto, Japan. He earned Kaikyoshi status in 2001, and came to the U.S. in 2003. From 2003-2009, he served as a resident minister at the Buddhist Church of Sacramento, CA. In 2009, he became the current resident/head minister to Ekoji Buddhist Temple, Fairfax Station, VA. He also oversees the Richmond Ekoji Sangha and is the supervising minster for Seabrook Buddhist Temple. He is an Adjunct Faculty member at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, teaching Buddhism. He is a Community Chaplain at the Fairfax County Office of Emergency Management, and serves as a hospital chaplain at INOVA Fairfax Hospital. He is completing his graduate studies at Strayer University School of Business. He lives in Fairfax Station, VA, with his wife, Michi, and his daughters, Kanon and Michilu.

Socho (Bishop) Koshin Ogui - is the current Bishop of the Buddhist Churches of America, (BCA). He was born in Saga Prefecture in Japan and is an 18th generation Jodo Shinshu minister. After completing his studies at Ryukoku University in 1962 in Kyoto, Japan, he arrived in the United States as a Kaikyoshi Minister. He has served in the BCA for almost 50 years. During this time, he served as resident/head minister at the Los Angeles Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, Oxnard Buddhist Temple, Buddhist Church of San Francisco, Cleveland Buddhist Temple, and Midwest Buddhist Temple. Prior to his election as Bishop in 2004, Socho Ogui also served on the Board of Trustees of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s Religions, the Interfaith Council for the Homeless, as Meditation Instructor for the Cook County Jail and as Chairman of the BCA Ministers’ Association. He currently lives near San Francisco, CA with his wife, Mayumi and his daughter, Ayaka.

Rinban Ken Fujimoto - is the resident/head minister of the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, San Jose, CA. He assumed his current position in January, 2006. Before becoming Rinban at San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, Rinban Fujimoto was the resident minister at the Buddhist Church of Lodi, for 21 years. He became a BCA minister in 1977, after graduating from Ryokoku University in Kyoto, Japan, with a Master of Arts degree in Shinshu Studies. Rinban Fujimoto obtained his Bachelors of Science degree in Economics from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He lives in San Jose with his wife, Miyuki. They have three children, Genta (Eugene is his English name), Yusuke (Wesley in English), and Mina.

Dr. B.N. Hebbar - is a Professor at George Washington University, Washington, D.C. He teaches Religions of the East and specialty courses such as Indian Philosophy, Zoroastrianism, Shintoism, Doctrine and Debate in World Religions, Minor Religions of India, and South Asian Buddhism. Dr. Hebbar is a recipient of the Bender Teaching Award for 2006. Dr. Hebbar received his bachelors and masters degrees from George Washington University and his Ph.D. from the University of Utrecht (Netherlands). He taught at the University of Maryland Honors Program for a decade and has lectured on Eastern religions at the Virginia Theological Seminary, the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program and at the Johns Hopkins Osher Program. As an advisor to the International Buddhist group, he has received awards from the Cambodian and Korean Buddhist communities. He has authored articles on South Indian Vaisnavism in Harper-Row Dictionary of Religions and in the Journal of Vaisnava Studies. He has authored two books: The Sri-krsna Temple at Udupi (Nataraj Books, 2005) and Visistadvaita and Dvaita (Nataraj Books, 2005).

Melanie Hatter, Co-President, Ekoji Buddhist Temple - is the Director for Internal Global Corporate Communications, Hilton Hotels World Wide, McLean, VA. Ms. Hatter has been a member of Ekoji Buddhist Temple since 1998, and a Dharma school teacher since 2000. She received her undergraduate degree from Hampton College, Hampton, VA and her masters degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University. She is also a published author: the e-book Taking the Shot, and her debut novel The Color of My Soul. She lives in Silver Springs, MD, with her son, Christopher.