Wisdom Tree Collective
Leadership Council
While we use the language of Leadership Council to reflect our shared and non-hierarchical governance model, this body functions as Wisdom Tree Collective's legally recognized governing board in alignment with IRS requirements for 501(c)(3) nonprofits.
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Abby Buter Oakhart
Leadership Council Member
Steward of Vision and Values (Board Chair)
Abby has over 15 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. She started out working in communications, marketing and program development and is now the Training and Education Manager for the Financial Empowerment Network.
She’s also a certified spiritual director, Enneagram coach, and Mental Health First Aid Instructor. Her favorite thing to do is teach and talk about the Enneagram, self-care, and trauma informed approaches to the work we do. Abby is passionate about walking alongside people as they ask spiritual questions, unpack their stories, and come home to themselves. She is a compassionate listener and loves to integrate the ways of wisdom and the Enneagram into her spiritual direction practice.
Cindy Smith
Leadership Council Member
Nurturer of Community Care (Secretary)
Cindy, a graduate of the first School of Spiritual Direction cohort through Wisdom Tree Collective, considers herself a hybrid spiritual director. A pharmacist for 35 years, she was/is practicing in the unique area of bio-identical hormone restoration. As she listened to the stories of her patients, she felt such a connection between physical and spiritual wholeness. She has a passion for spiritual healing and wholeness in the health care arena.
Amy E. Steele, Ph.D., is is a spiritual director, social ethicist, entrepreneur, and ordained clergy serving in campus ministry. With each encounter, she witnesses the presence of the Holy, prompting, clarifying, and healing the remote corners of personal thought and action. She was part of the first cohort of our School of Spiritual Direction before becoming Interim Board Chair in 2024. Even after her term ended, her passion for Wisdom Tree Collective led her to remain on the Leadership Council, as one of the spiritual midwives to the organization's soul.
Jill wholeheartedly believes that wholeness is a birthright for everyone, not just a privileged few. While people often face obstacles and struggle on this journey, nature can show us the way.
Drawing on the wisdom of nature -- especially the nature of horses -- Jill helps people experience a greater sense of wholeness, even in a deeply fragmented world steeped in chaos. Like nature, we experience a greater sense of wholeness and freedom when we gently bring body, mind, heart and spirit into authentic alignment.
Blending her background in accounting, finance and reporting with her work as a life and money coach, along with her recent training as a spiritual director, Jill calmly and gently guides people toward deeper connection. As they build awareness and foster acceptance, while honoring themselves and others, they take authentic aligned action along their unique and perfect path that doesn't always feel perfect.
Jill aims to bring this same sense of greater wholeness and connection to the Wisdom Tree Collective organization by helping to align mission and vision with financial stewardship, leadership with the larger community of members and the body, mind, heart and spirit of the organization with divine wisdom in order to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.
Wendy Shafer
Leadership Council Member
Guardian of Financial Wellbeing
Wendy is a certified Spiritual Director through Wisdom Tree Collective; she also attended Richard Rohr’s first Living School cohort. Her career took her on travels through many countries, and especially in North and South America. This allowed her to experience many cultures and diverse people. Wendy believes that all created things are connected. Everything is ONE. Her desire is to help those she walks with to know themselves and others as Beloved. She does this through use of the Enneagram and Contemplative Practices, as well as with deep intimate conversation and stories.
Wisdom Tree Collective has two Guardians of Financial Wellbeing, Wendy and Jill Wright.
Kasey brings more than 20 years of experience as a spiritual director to Wisdom Tree Collective.
Prior to moving to Mt. Juliet (near Nashville, TN) in 2008, Kasey spent five years in Washington State where she earned a Master of Divinity and Certificate in Spiritual Direction at The Seattle School of Theology & Psychology. She grew up in Ohio and was a youth pastor in the United Methodist Church for five years in Missouri before heading to the Seattle area.
Her way of spiritual direction can be described as offering hospitality to the soul by being present and listening to the whole of one's life—daytime, nighttime, body, mind, spirit, and relationships. She utilizes a variety of ancient and present-day tools to help her directees. These include lectio divina, dreamwork, breathwork, IFS (parts work), imaginative & guided prayer, and relaxation.
Kasey's own story of becoming a spiritual director began with mental, physical, and relational burnout as a youth pastor, so she is especially passionate about a healthy, authentic spirituality.
In addition to spiritual direction, Kasey also offers retreats, classes, supervision for spiritual directors, and is a Level III Reiki therapist. Thanks to directees asking to be trained by her over the years, she has developed and is offering a two-year Wisdom-based online program to train spiritual directors, which began fall 2021.
Kasey resides with her husband, Russ, daughter, Lainey, and son, Alex. She enjoys a cup of tea, reading, juggling, baking, taking art lessons, a walk through the woods, and quiet mornings with her Russian Blue cat, Birdie, on her lap.
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