Virginia Benson

Virginia Benson was Executive Director of the Ikeda Center from its founding in 1993 - 2009 and then again from 2017 - 2021. She served as Senior Research Fellow from 2009 to 2017. During her time as Executive Director, Ginny was known for her gracious and illuminating welcoming remarks at the Center’s many events and her effective, nimble moderation of seminars, skillfully placing the respective topics in the context of Nichiren Buddhism and the teachings of Daisaku Ikeda, always finding common ground with the perspectives and expertise of the participating scholars. In her role leading the Ikeda Center, she excelled in making the organization itself an exemplar of the peace cultures that the organization seeks to establish on a broad scale. The size and quality of the Center’s extended network also attests to her abilities as openhearted, open-minded leader.

Prior to taking the helm at the Center, Benson worked as an urban policy aide in the Carter White House and co-directed a prominent public policy institute and think tank in Boston. She also served as a legislative researcher in the U.S. House of Representatives and a financial analyst in the Treasury Department. Her educational background includes a BA from Stanford University and a Masters Degree from the University of London, with a concentration in U.S. economic history at the London School of Economics.

Photo by Marilyn Humphries