Gratitude for Brad Upton

November 20, 2025

Sangha member Brad Upton has an inspiring story about how he came to be directly involved with KCC, eventually becoming a critically important volunteer. Brad, who lives in Corvallis, has been practicing Buddhism with a small group there since 2009. While his group had occasional teachings from Lama Michael Conklin, they were mostly peer-led. But in 2019, Lama Eric invited a small group from Corvallis to be part of a pilgrimage to Tibet in which they would circumambulate Mount Kailash, a sacred symbol. One of the planned participants had to back out of the commitment and Brad was asked to take his place.

While Brad does not consider himself a traveler, there was something about this opportunity that seemed of great importance. So he took the leap and joined the group with Lama Eric. Brad had never met Lama Eric. Nor did he really know what the trip would entail. It just felt like something he had to do. It turned out to be a transformative experience for him in many ways. One of the blessings of the trip was the opportunity to spend this much time with Lama Eric and watch him navigate difficult situations with great equanimity. Brad decided that he wanted to redouble his efforts to attain that level of equanimity.

In mid-2020, Brad started regularly attending KCC events, mostly by Zoom. As a person who sees what needs doing and steps forward to get it done, Brad first volunteered to facilitate zooming for others. This was an easy task for him since he had done it at work. He was part of the group that eventually brought on a team of capable Zoom facilitators. To this day, he frequently does Sunday evening zooms.

But Brad was destined for even more important volunteer jobs. In 2021, he was asked to join the SCOL team. Brad was drawn to SCOL and decided to say yes. He has found this volunteer job rewarding because he can be part of helping keep SCOL going so that others can benefit from it. Brad has done tasks large and small. In addition to setting policy and direction for the retreat land, he has cleaned out grease traps (yucky work!) and jumped on roofs to remove debris. Again, this is Brad doing what needs doing.

In 2023, Brad said yes to joining the KCC Board. He even accepted the sometimes thankless job of secretary of the board, taking minutes for the group. KCC’s Executive Director, Tim Campbell, has this to say about Brad’s service:

“It’s been a great joy and a valuable learning process consulting with Brad in his capacity as a board member, particularly on the SCOL hiring team. Brad is a truly critical thinker; I feel he consistently anticipates issues I miss and provides essential insight. He weighs issues carefully before speaking, a crucial quality in his roles at KCC. Add to that his delightful, easy-going personality, and you have the treasure that he is.”

Thank you Brad for bringing your talent, wisdom, energy and kindness to KCC in the many ways you have.

Article courtesy of Rosemarie Sweet