Deborah Bright began her Shambhala Buddhist path in 1986 when she met and became of student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. She continued to study and practice and attended Vajradhatu Buddhist Seminary in the summer of 1988. In the early 1990’s she began teaching Shambhala Training in the Southwest and in 1995 moved to Shambhala Mountain Center where she served as Associate Director through 2003. She is currently a student of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and has taught Shambhala Training in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Colorado, and Georgia. She lives with her husband in Drumright, Oklahoma where she serves as Mayor for the City. Deborah has had a long career in nonprofit management and is one of the founding members of the Tulsa Shambhala Group.