Roshi Ken Byalin is the spiritual leader of the Zen Community of Staten Island. An ordained priest in the Soto Zen lineage and a member of the Zen Peacemakers, he is a Dharma Successor of Roshi Bernie Glassman. Ken also studied with Roshis Jishu Holmes, Robert Kennedy, S.J., and Kyudo Nakagawa. Ken is the founder and president of Integration Charter Schools, an educational corporation of four schools dedicated to providing pathways to college for students living with emotional challenges and other special needs. He also has broad experience in organizational leadership and education, as well as in mental health as a manager in the New York State Office of Mental Health.Ken earned a Ph.D. in Sociology from New York University, a MS in Social Work from Columbia University, and a BA in English from Carleton College. He lives on Staten Island with his wife, Diane “Dee”, and their daughter, Jamie.