David Lynch (1946–2025)
David Lynch, founder and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace, was an award-winning director, writer, and producer. His work includes Eraserhead, Elephant Man, Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, The Straight Story, Mulholland Drive, and Inland Empire.

His vision and lifelong commitment to sharing Transcendental Meditation continue to inspire the work of the Foundation worldwide.

Peter Warburton, PhD, MInstLM
Peter Warburton is Chairman of the Trustees for the David Lynch Foundation UK. He is also Chairman of the Maharishi Foundation group in the UK, comprising five registered charities and five companies working in the areas of self-development and natural health care. Dr Warburton has his master’s degree from Cambridge University (physiology and sociology) and his PhD in political science. He is a Member of the UK Institute of Leadership and Management.

Over the past four decades, Dr Warburton has trained 3,000 teachers of Transcendental Meditation from all over the world and has worked on the development of numerous publications and courses on Transcendental Meditation and its application in different areas of society. He has worked with leaders of government, education, and industry in many countries to implement Maharishi’s programmes.

Nigel Barlow
Nigel Barlow is an Oxford-educated barrister. He is a keynote speaker and coach to many of the world’s leading companies, focusing on creativity, innovation, and leadership. He is also the author of Batteries Included – Creating Legendary Customer Service (Random House) and Rethink – How To Think Differently (Wiley). With decades of experience, he has been dedicated to teaching Transcendental Meditation alongside his professional work.

Jonathon Fitzgerald
Jonathon Fitzgerald has over 30 years of senior leadership experience in global retail, including a decade as CEO and Group President. He is the founder of HaVeda, a company dedicated to the international expansion of authentic Ayurveda through high-quality products and wellness solutions.

A practitioner of Transcendental Meditation (TM) for more than 32 years, Jonathan was introduced to the practice in his teens and has maintained a lifelong commitment, together with his wife Nicole and their three children. His combination of corporate leadership, entrepreneurial experience, and deep personal connection to TM make him a valuable asset to DLF UK as a Trustee.

Deirdre Parsons PhD CPsychol AFBPsS
Deirdre Parsons is Executive Director of the David Lynch Foundation UK, where she leads Transcendental Meditation (TM) programmes for leaders and at-risk groups across business, education, and community sectors. With over 40 years of TM practice and nearly 30 years as a certified teacher, she is among the UK's most experienced instructors.

Deirdre holds a BA in Design, an MA in Art History, an MSc in Psychology, and a PhD in Physiology and Health. A Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, she brings a unique combination of scientific expertise and practical insight to her work.

Deirdre has delivered programmes in schools, universities, prisons, the creative industries, and corporate settings. She works closely with CEOs and senior leaders to develop TM-based strategies that enhance mental health, resilience, and consciousness-based leadership.

Bob Roth
Bob Roth is the CEO and co-founder of the David Lynch Foundation in USA and is one of the most experienced and sought-after meditation leaders in America. Over the past 45 years, Bob has taught Transcendental Meditation® to many thousands of people, and is the author of the 2018 New York Times bestseller, “Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation.” Bob has helped bring meditation to more than a million students in underserved schools in 35 countries, to military veterans and their families who suffer from post-traumatic stress, and to women and children who are survivors of domestic violence. Bob also directs the Center for Health & Wellness, which is bringing meditation to companies, government organisations, and nonprofit organisations. Bob is the host of the SiriusXM radio show, “Success Without Stress” and has spoken about meditation to industry leaders at such gatherings as Google Zeitgeist, Aspen Ideas Festival, Aspen Brain Conference, Wisdom2.0, and Summit.

Fredda L. Plesser
Fredda Plesser is the President of Women's Health Initiatives for the David Lynch Foundation in USA. After 15 years as a practising attorney, Fredda entered the non-profit arena to focus on bringing services and relief to underserved communities. From 2003 until 2011, Fredda was Senior Vice President, Chair and Executive Director of the Michael Tyler Fisher Center for Education of the Intrepid Museum in Manhattan. For 3 years prior to joining the Intrepid, Fredda served as the Chancellor’s Chief Executive for the Office of Corporate Partnerships at the New York City Department of Education. As an attorney, Fredda was Associate General Counsel for the Securities Industry Association and Litigation Partner for Tenzer Greenblatt LLP, currently known as Blank Rome LLP. Fredda holds a BS from Cornell University and a JD from Fordham University School of Law.

William Goldstein
William Goldstein is Dean of Global Development and General Counsel for Maharishi International University (MIU) and the David Lynch Foundation (DLF) in USA. In these roles, he provides strategic leadership on international initiatives and oversees legal affairs. He also lectures in Law and Government. Bill earned his Bachelor’s degree from Colby College and his Juris Doctor (law degree) from the University of San Diego School of Law.

Gary P. Kaplan, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Kaplan is a neurologist and clinical associate professor of neurology at Hofstra University School of Medicine. Dr. Kaplan received the Albert H. Douglas Award from the Medical Society of the State of New York for outstanding achievements as a clinical teacher interested in promoting and improving the medical education of physicians.

William R. Stixrud, Ph.D.
Dr. Stixrud is a clinical neuropsychologist and director of William Stixrud and Associates in Silver Spring, Maryland, a group practice specializing in the neuropsychological assessment of children, adolescents and adults with learning, attentional/executive and/or emotional disorders. Dr. Stixrud is also a member of the clinical supervisory faculty of the Children’s National Medical Center and holds an appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at George Washington University School of Medicine.

Frank Staggers, Jr., M.D.
Dr. Staggers is a practitioner of addiction medicine and general medicine and the senior drug detoxification specialist at the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic’s Drug Rehabilitation Program. He is also the former director of the alcohol, drug and methadone programs at the West Oakland Health Center. Dr. Staggers has been an investigator on multiple federal research grants, including research on the effects of the Transcendental Meditation® program on cardiovascular disease.

César Molina, M.D., F.A.C.C.P.
Dr. Molina is an interventional cardiologist in the Palo Alto area. He is a graduate of the Yale University School of Medicine and completed his fellowship in the Department of Cardiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Molina also serves as a medical consultant on the health benefits of the Transcendental Meditation program for adults and children.

George H. Rutherford, Ph.D.
Dr. Rutherford was the principal and chief operating officer of the Fletcher-Johnson Educational Center in Washington, D.C., for 30 years. He is currently principal of the Ideal Academy Public Charter School in the District. Dr. Rutherford introduced the Transcendental Meditation technique to hundreds of students and faculty at Fletcher-Johnson in 1994.

Carmen N’Namdi
Ms. N’Namdi is co-founder and principal of the Nataki Talibah Schoolhouse of Detroit; chair of the Board of the National Charter School Institute; and member of the Board of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies. Nataki is an award-winning middle school where 120 teachers and students practice the Transcendental Meditation technique together twice a day.

Ralph Wolff
Mr. Wolff is the executive director of the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), which accredits nearly 150 colleges and universities in California and throughout the Western region. He is a strong proponent of the use of the Transcendental Meditation program for students.

Ashley Deans, Ph.D.
Dr. Deans is a quantum physicist and lifelong educator who has served for 15 years as the director of the award-winning Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment in Fairfield, Iowa. Maharishi School is affiliated with Ideal Girls School and Maharishi University of Management—model Consciousness-Based educational institutions in the world.

Linda Handy, Ph.D.
Dr. Handy is the principal of the Waldorf School in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the former academic director of the Chelsea School, a private school in Silver Spring, which specializes in children with language-based learning disabilities, and where research was conducted on the effects of the TM program on attention deficit–hyperactivity disorders (ADHD).

Sarina Grosswald, Ed.D.
Dr. Grosswald is an expert in cognitive learning; president of SJ Grosswald & Associates, a consulting firm in medical education in Alexandria, Virginia; and director of continuing medical education for the American Medical Women’s Association. She is also project director for the research study on the Transcendental Meditation program at the Chelsea School.