Ven. Sevan Ross was ordained in 1992 as a Zen Buddhist priest by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede, director of the Rochester Zen Center. Sevan has been training in Zen since 1976 and has served on the resident staff of the Rochester Zen Center for eight years where he served as both administrator of the Center and as Head of Zendo (head priest in charge of training under the Roshi.)

In 1996 he became Director of the Chicago Zen Center. Sensei Ross was then sanctioned as a Zen teacher (Sensei) by Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede, who is the Director of the Rochester Zen Center and a disciple of Roshi Kapleau. Sensei Ross has trained with four Zen teachers: Roshi Kjolhede, Roshi Kapleau, Toni Packer, and most recently with Roshi James Ford, a Robert-Aitkin lineage teacher. Working with Roshi Ford, Sensei Ross completed the Harada-Yasutani koan curriculum, and in May of 2007 was given Dharma Transmission by Ford Roshi, who himself holds Dharma Transmission in both the Aitkin lineage and Jiyu Kennett (Soto Line) lineage. Sevan Sensei thus offers the practices and koan curricula embodied in these lineages. Sensei would like to express his deep gratitude to all four of his teachers for their efforts in training him with compassion and patience.

Ven. Sevan Ross is a member in good standing of the American Zen Teachers Association.

The following instructors offer Daisan on a regular schedule at the Chicago Zen Center. Daisan is private instruction, patterned on Dokusan which Sensei Ross offers as a full teacher.  Typically, Daisan does not deal with Koan work, whereas Dokusan does. All the Instructors offer regular Dharma Talks, just as Sensei Ross offers Teishos.

Ven. Sthaman Marek Prejzner was ordained in 2005 by Sensei Sevan Ross. He started Zen training under Sensei Zenson Gifford in Warsaw, Poland in 1983 and continued his training with Bodhin Kjolhede Roshi,and with Sensei Ross beginning in 1997 in Chicago. He is Head of Zendo under the Sensei and resides at the CZC. Just as Sensei Ross does, Sthaman offers Zen Workshops both at the CZC and off campus. Sthaman speaks fluent Polish.

Jim Graham started training in Zen in 1990 at the CZC. His first teacher was Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede. He has continued his training under the guidance of Sensei Ross, starting in 1997. Jim speaks fluent French and is conversant in Spanish.

Elie Nijm started training in Zen in the early ‘80s at the CZC. His first teacher was Roshi Bodhin Kjolhede. He has continued his training under the guidance of Sensei Ross starting in 1998. Elie speaks fluent Arabic and is conversant in French