PSC Leadership
PSC USA DIRECTORS
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Ellen Toomey-Hale President (Colorado)Ellen Toomey-Hale received her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and her law degree from Temple University Law School. She served for three decades in Colorado’s juvenile justice system as a probation officer, deputy district attorney, guardian ad litem, defense counsel, and district court magistrate.
Ellen was an adjunct professor at the University of Northern Colorado, Aims Community College, and the Aims Police Academy. She has expertise in child welfare and co-authored Parenting from Prison: A Resource Guide for Incarcerated Parents. She has volunteered with Kairos Prison Ministry at the Denver Women’s and Sterling Correctional Facilities. She has an extensive background in nonprofit development, served on many international mission teams, and still believes one person can change the world. She was blessed to met Dr. Yogi on a mission trip to Nepal in 2009, and PSC USA was born!
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Nagendra Yogi Treasurer (Texas)
Nagendra Yogi has been involved with Dr. Yogi ji’s mission since last 20 years as a volunteer, a student and his helping hands. Dr. Chintamani Yogi ji is Nagendra uncle, teacher and Guru. Organizations Nagendra has been part of with Yogi ji includes Matribhomi Savak Sangh(MSS), HVP, CPH, PSC, FPS, NCSC etc.
Nagendra has coordinated Dr. Yogi ji’s programs, camps, satsangs, visits, and travels around the world. It has been a journey of a life time of selfless service and spiritual awareness.
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Amy Argenal Secretary (California)
Amy Argenal has been a classroom teacher since 2001. She is currently working as the Director of Service Learning at an independent high school in San Francisco however has taught in Spain, Thailand and Nepal. She has received two M.A.s, one in International and Multicultural Education and in Human Rights.
She is currently finishing her dissertation on Human Rights Activism and solidarity work in Myanmar and hopes to obtain her Ed.D in International and Multicultural Education from the University of San Francisco this year. She is the mother of one, and enjoys spending time with her son. Amy met Dr. C.M. Yogi when he invited her to HVP to lead summer camps on Human Rights and Peace Education with the secondary students. She was able to spend over two months working with youth, volunteering in the children’s homework club at the Ashram and visiting Children’s Peace Home in Dang. She believes deeply in the values of PSC-Nepal and the work with the community there. She feels honored to serve on the PSC-USA board and support the values and mission of the work through Peace Service Center.
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Eduardo Guedez Board Member (Washington, D.C.)
Eduardo Guedez has over 15 years of experience in the IT industry. He is a Senior Systems Architect at Analytic Services Inc., a non-profit research and development institute funded by the US federal government. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas, and a Master’s degree in Computer Science from George Mason University in Virginia.
He’s a registered yoga teacher at the RYT 500 level, and is the founder and co-director of StoneSong Awareness & Nature Center where yoga, meditation and nature retreats are offered in the Allegany mountains of Western Maryland. Mr. Guedez met Dr. Yogiji in Nepal in 2009, and was deeply touched by the profound harmony, compassion, cooperation and joy between the walls of his HVP school in Kathmandu. This heart opening experience inspired Mr. Guedez to join a collaborative effort to support Dr. Yogiji’s peacebuilding and educational mission
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Peggy Gregory Board Member (California)
Peggy Gregory has owned a Recreation Therapy consulting business for 37 years and has practiced yoga for 42 years. She first meet Dr. Yogi in 2009, while on a 4 month trip threw SE Asia. Peggy visited many programs to empower women / children and yogi’s throughout SE Asia; but found the work of Dr. Chintamani Yogi the most energetic. The women were delighted to learn & gather together, the after school children were studding hard with smiles on their faces, the kids in the school were happy, respectful, and smart.
Almost everyone wanted a hug from Dr. Yogi, and greeted him with flowers, smiles, and respectful names. Since then Dr. Yogi has visited Peggy in Madera California three times, and Peggy has visited Dr. Yogi in Nepal three times. In Madera, all day programs are planned: yoga, singing, dancing, eating, and listening to Dr. Yogi talk. Dr. Yogi is fondly remembered and honored by many Maderans. In Nepal, Peggy works with the children in the Dr. Yogi’s schools, women’s programs, youth programs, attends talks given by Dr. Yogi, and collaborates with Rotary International. After volunteering in Nepal, one’s life will suddenly have a bigger purpose and meaning.
OUR FOUNDER
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Chintamani Yogi Founder (Nepal)
Chintamani Yogi (CM) grew up in a traditional Hindu family in a small village in Dang, in the western part of Nepal. From the beginning of life he understood the true meaning of Pooja / Aarti. His family never had dinner without first having evening prayers and receiving blessings from the elders by touching their feet. There wasn’t a proper school in the village and his parents always had a dream of teaching CM Yogi Sanskrit. So at the tender age of seven, he left the warmth of his parents’ lap and travelled to Delhi for his education. They walked for two days barefoot followed by a further two days by train. Nobody explained to him where he was going and why. Yet part of his was eager to make this journey. It was as though some unseen force was calling him.
CM Yogi joined joined a very traditional, old Gurukul to study Sanskrit and other ancient Hindu texts. Daily life was a challenge – getting up at 4.30 am, performing yoga, meditation, reciting the holy books, and then going to school to study the scriptures. Life at the Gurukul formed the basis of his education. It instilled in him strong moral and spiritual foundations and helped mold him into the person he is today.
After eight years in Delhi, destiny drew him back to Nepal. During his late teenage years in Dang he became involved in politics. Fighting for democracy was quite risky at that time and his serious involvement caused a lot of worry amongst his family. CM Yogi’s family persuaded him to leave Dang for Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu. Having arrived in Kathmandu to pursue his further studies, once again destiny called CM Yogi from another invisible corner. Actually, he believed everywhere we go, everything we do is determined by fate (Prarabdha). He enrolled in college for his Master’s Degree and started hunting for connections with various political, religious and social institutions.
It was then that CM then met Dr. Bihari Lal Shrestha. He was an ideal person. He refused to rest in his mission and never said, “No” to the poor people. Actually, he served God through his fellow man. Though he was a highly respected orthopaedic doctor, his smiling and gentle behavior was so heart touching. After meeting Dr. Shrestha CM Yogi immediately immersed himself in social work. Together, they established a school – Hindu Vidya Peeth-Nepal (HVP), a charity-based institution that imparts modern education along with spiritual values. Although he had the zeal of selfless service, he lacked any real experience of life. CM Yogi was just 21 at that time.
CM Yogi would continually question himself: Was he working for the benefit of society or was he working just for the schools? Was he really working for the whole of humanity or just for Nepal? This led to the creation of Shanti Sewa Ashram, (SSA). It’s an organization working for the promotion of spirituality through selfless service in collaboration with 21 different social and educational organizations. Another fellowship he and his group have developed is Youth Society for Peace (YSP). It acts as a forum for youth committed to peace and service.
As a seeker of spirituality and as a member of Hindu society, CM Yogi now clearly feels that although journeys may begin from different corners, all religious pathways lead ultimately towards the same goal. Therefore, let’s live in truth and understand the absolute truth; let’s practice love and understand His unconditional love. Let’s realize inner peace and create global peace.
