Left to right: Ang Tshering Lama and Samphe Dorje Lhalungpa
Left to right: Ang Tshering Lama and Samphe Dorje Lhalungpa
The Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art has appointed two new Trustees to its Board: Samphe Dorje Lhalungpa, a Canadian Public Service Commission advisor and international development expert with 23 years of experience at UNICEF; and Ang Tshering Lama, a Nepal-based sustainability and hospitality entrepreneur.
Ang Tshering Lama and Samphe Dorje Lhalungpa’s appointments will strengthen the Board’s support of the Museum’s mission and innovative program of partnerships, traveling exhibitions, and digital initiatives for international audiences. They join the Rubin during a moment of transformation, as the Museum prepares to close its physical galleries in October and implement a fully decentralized, global model.
Samphe Dorje Lhalungpa brings to the Rubin decades of experience in international development and social justice. During his tenure with UNICEF, Lhalungpa served as the County Representative in Turkmenistan after completing assignments in Bangladesh, Nepal, India, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, and more. He has managed several large-scale humanitarian projects throughout his career, including founding the Welcome to School (WTS) initiative providing education to over 400,000 students in Nepal. Lhalungpa also served as a key fundraiser for the Tibetan Resettlement Project in Canada, which provides aid to Tibetans in Arunachal Pradesh as they relocate to Ottawa.
Ang Tsherin Lama is the founder and managing director of Beyul Experiences, a travel company that operates the boutique hotel Happy House, in Phaplu, Nepal. Lama is passionate about sustainable and ethical travel and has fought for greater representation for the Sherpa community in the region. He is also the founder of outdoor recreation initiatives for youth in Nepal and Mongolia.
“We are delighted that Ang Tshering Lama and Samphe Dorje Lhalungpa will join the Rubin in our ongoing commitment to making Himalayan art, its insights, and cultural context accessible on a global scale,” says Rubin Museum Executive Director Jorrit Britschgi. “We are confident that their joint expertise in community development and international outreach will provide valuable guidance during this moment of transformation for the Museum, including furthering our partnerships and programming within the greater Himalayan region.”
Ang Tshering Lama hails from the Solu Khumbu region and was born in Phaplu, Nepal. After growing up in the mountains, he moved to the United States in his late teens and studied finance in New York. After graduating, Ang worked as a budget analyst for a year until he felt the mountains calling him home. For more than ten years, Ang has been working in the tourism and hospitality sector of Nepal. When he is not in the Himalaya, he spends his time in Mongolia leading horse-riding treks. Ang is the founder of Phaplu Mountain Bike Club. He is an aspiring enduro mountain biker and spends his free time doing yoga, reading, backpacking, and anything that positively balances mind and body. In the spring of 2022, Ang—with a team of all Sherpa climbers—reached the top of Mt. Everest. The expedition was based around raising awareness regarding Sherpa climbers and better representation.
Samphe Lhalungpa has more than 32 years of experience in public sector management with both national and international bodies. He served in the Canadian Federal Public Service for over 12 years and worked with UNICEF for 23 years, concluding his career as the Country Representative in Turkmenistan in 2012. His tenure with UNICEF included extensive work in Nepal, from the Himalayas to the Terai regions. Born in Darjeeling to a Tibetan scholar father and a Bhutia mother, he was educated at the Rish Valley School and the United World College of the Atlantic in Wales. He holds a BA Hons in politics and government from City University, London, and an MPA from Queen’s University, Canada. Mr. Lhalungpa’s career has been influenced by his passion for social justice and equity, inspired by his parents’ work in broadcasting for All India Radio’s Tibetan Service. Postretirement, he chairs the Canada Tibet Committee, supporting the Middle Way strategy of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. A keen reader of historical fiction, with a special focus on Asia, he also promotes and collects contemporary Tibetan art. Mr. Lhalungpa practices intuitive archery and takes horse-riding lessons. Married to Ellen Wiesenfeld since 1981, they have two children and two grandchildren.
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