Kelly Smith (formerly Moone) met Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1978 in Boulder Colorado. She subsequently attended the '82, '84, '86 and '92 Seminaries. She lived in Halifax from 1987 to 1991, returning to Colorado to be on staff at Rocky Mountain Dharma Center, where she met Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche in 1992. In 1995 she was invited to build a retreat cabin at Longchen Jigme Samten Ling Retreat Center in Crestone Colorado and has lived there since 1996 practicing in the Longcthen Nyinthik tradition. Having trained as an architect, she has been able to assist Rinpoche in bringing his vision of establishing his lineage to the west, especially in the building of the Sangdo Palri Temple in Crestone.