Our Staff

Tsutomu Ben Takagi – Vice President
btakagi@sef.org
Tsutomu Ben Takagi became the Vice President of the Shinnyo-en Foundation Board of Directors and of Shinnyo-en Foundation on February 25, 2011. Prior to joining Shinnyo-en, Ben managed the financial and human resources departments at Panasonic in Japan, the U.S. and Canada. Ben became a member of the staff of Shinnyo-en USA in 2002 and he served at the Seattle Temple for the first two years. In 2004 Ben was transferred to Shinnyo-en USA Head Temple in Redwood City, California. He became treasurer of Shinnyo-en USA in 2007 and continues to serve in this position. He is also a reverend at Shinnyo-en USA. He served Shinnyo-en Foundation as a member of the board of directors from 2004 through 2009.

Ineko Tsuchida Ph.D. – Program Director
itsuchida@sef.org
Ineko joined the Foundation in October 2007. As Program Director, she oversees the Foundation’s grantmaking and all programs. In partnership with new and long-time associates and friends of the Foundation, she promotes the actualization of the Foundation’s Six Billion Paths to Peace initiative. Ineko also serves as liaison to leading academic institutions in peace education, peace studies, and service-learning as she directs the Foundation’s Shinnyo Fellowship Program. Ineko has a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from San Francisco State University and a Master’s and a Ph. D. in Educational Psychology from UC Berkeley. Working at the Shinnyo-en Foundation builds on Ineko’s lifelong passion to improve the lives of children and their families.

Lisanne Aguilar – Administration Director
laguilar@sef.org
Lisanne graduated with a B.A. in Japanese from U.C. Berkeley, and recently completed an advanced accounting certificate program at Santa Clara University. Lisanne was one of the first Foundation employees, having joined the Foundation in 1995 and serving as Finance and Operations Manager for many years.  Prior to her return to the Foundation in 2012, Lisanne worked as the office manager for a private investment management firm in Sausalito, California.  Her interests include travel, studying languages, cooking, hiking, snowshoeing and kayaking.