By Dr. Leonie H. Mattison, Ed.D.
Happy Holidays Pacifica Community and Friends,
At the start of this year, I engaged in a ritual rooted in listening—listening to what the psyche quietly asks of my leadership and the soul of the community I serve. The word that emerged was loving-kindness. At first, I questioned whether this word was sufficient for the complexities of leadership amid the fractures and upheavals in higher education, society, and life itself. Yet, in relinquishing control, embracing vulnerability, and trusting the unfolding wisdom of what I could not yet fully see, loving-kindness called me—and us—to meet life’s contradictions with presence and courage rather than retreat.
As the year progressed, the weight of societal divides, the dehumanization of public discourse, global crises such as climate change and geopolitical conflicts, and the evolving challenges in higher education—alongside internal tensions within our community—brought fractures into sharp focus. These were not mere subtle misalignments but deeply felt disruptions, exposing the pain of unspoken grievances and unmet needs. Assumptions calcified into mistrust, unresolved challenges shaped our shared dynamics, and the ad hominem nature of certain actions amplified these tensions. The pain reverberated deeply across the collective.
Through this process, I discovered a lesson I hope others will embrace: leadership is not about having all the answers but staying in dialogue with the soul—holding the tensions of light and shadow, connection and rupture, while trusting that transformation emerges in our most challenging moments. It’s about meeting difficulties with grace, allowing discomfort to teach us, and letting the psyche’s quiet wisdom shape our decisions.
The practice of loving-kindness guided my leadership and our collective efforts this year. Together, we learned to listen deeply, hold both tenderness and difficulty, and find meaning and growth even in uncertainty. Through it all, I witnessed extraordinary resilience across our Pacifica community—proof that when we lead from the soul’s wisdom, healing and transformation remain within reach.
Among our many accomplishments this year, three stand out as testaments to what this community is capable of when we listen inward and act outward with care:
1) The Board of Trustees endorsed the 2030 Strategic Plan, Onward Together, a visionary roadmap to expand impact, enhance student outcomes, empower organizational development, and elevate fiscal sustainability. Our reach grew with fully online degrees and new graduate certificate programs, opening Pacifica’s doors to global audiences while honoring our depth-oriented traditions. Pacifica Extension programs engaged nearly 3,000 learners worldwide, sharing transformative courses that bring depth psychology to life.
2) For the first time in our intuition’s history, we implemented a Shared Governance model, creating a culture of transparency and collaboration through tools like the Decision Matrix and Faculty Senate. A $725,000 investment in faculty and staff wage increases and a new Faculty Pay and Rank Structure affirmed our commitment to equity and professional growth. Six new student-led clubs and a thriving Pacifica Promise Program fostered connection, innovation, and healing pathways for underserved communities.
3) Fall student enrollment grew in our DPT and DCH programs and faculty advanced the field through forward-thinking publications. At the same time, the successful WSCUC reaffirmation of accreditation process and the celebration of 250 graduates in May, with 160 crossing the stage, highlighted our commitment to academic excellence. To ensure the preservation and accessibility of our archives, a $100,000 grant was awarded to the Opus Archives and Research Center, further supporting scholarship and historical stewardship.
Congratulations and heartfelt gratitude for the dedication, care, and effort that made this year extraordinary. To hear more on progress and reflections on this past year and looking ahead to 2025, view the latest Eye on Pacifica – December 2024.
Honoring all we’ve achieved together, our campus will take a quiet period from Dec 24 to Jan 1, and I encourage you all to take time this season to pause—rest, reflect, and reconnect with what restores you. Doing so creates space for renewal and the strength to step forward with clarity and purpose in the year ahead.
Wishing you a safe and peaceful close to 2024 and a bright, hopeful beginning to 2025.
Joyfully Serving,
Dr. Leonie H. Mattison, Ed.D, MBA
President and CEO
Dr. Leonie H. Mattison, Ed.D, the fourth President, and Chief Executive Officer of Pacifica Graduate Institute, ushers in a new chapter as the first black female to assume leadership of the 45-year-old institution, with her term beginning in October 2022.
Dr. Mattison brought her extensive experience as a transformational, people-first philosophy to increase the impact of Pacifica. She will ensure Pacifica becomes a world-class institution that improves lives and communities through collaboration among students, alums, faculty, and staff. This starts with listening to the Pacifica community to ensure she can provide the highest-quality education to students and equip them with the tools to better the world. Since taking office, President Mattison has focused on engaging diverse voices on and off campus in conversation about Pacifica’s past, present, and future.
Born in Jamaica, West Indies, Dr. Mattison grew up learning from her mother, who taught her how to interpret dreams, and her grandmother, who taught her the power of turning imagination into reality through quilting. Moving to New York City in her teen years, she witnessed the potency of education to elevate people out of poverty and change lives, including her own. She earned a Master’s in Business from Georgian Court University and a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership from Argosy University. Prior to Pacifica, she served as Chief Operating Officer of a community agency that provides education and support services for vulnerable Santa Barbara residents. Other leadership positions include adjunct professor and lecturer at Antioch University and Santa Barbara City College School of Extended Learning and Chief of Organizational and Talent Development at the County of Santa Barbara, where she was instrumental in developing the Employees University, an open-source university created through a partnership between the county and Santa Barbara City College that has provided high-quality training and cutting-edge leadership development for over 4,700 county employees.
She is the proud mother to her three daughters and a grandmother to one granddaughter. In 2018 she was recognized by the Pacific Coast Business Times as a 40 Under 40 recipient 2018 and an emerging Black leader in 2021. An author, Dr. Mattison, recently published her book, The Thread: Six Steps to Intentional Transformation After Trauma or Crisis, which was recently recognized by the Santa Barbara Independent.
