Rev. Silvia Tiznado-Smith is the Founder and Director of Buen Vivir CPE, an ACPE-accredited program offering Level I and Level II Clinical Pastoral Education. She holds a Master of Divinity from Claremont School of Theology and was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 2006. Silvia is a bilingual Mexican-American educator, Rev. Tiznado-Smith is committed to expanding access to CPE for diverse and underserved communities. She is also a U.S. Army veteran.

She has served as an interfaith chaplain since 2004 and has been a Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) since 2007. Certified as an ACPE Educator in 2018, she brings over 20 years of experience in healthcare chaplaincy, including work in palliative care at Mayo Clinic Hospital and El Camino Hospital.

In 2013, she played a key role in the successful accreditation of the Palliative Care Team at Banner Medical Center.

Her commitment to pastoral education includes significant leadership in Clinical Pastoral Education programs. She joined San Francisco Theological Seminary’s Ministry program in 2016, where she co-facilitated a Summer Intensive CPE unit and later led multiple extended and full-time units. She also developed and facilitated a bilingual (English/Spanish) CPE unit, expanding access to theological education for Spanish-speaking students.

​