Juneteenth 2023 Events at Pacifica:
Speakers & Panelists

Pacifica Graduate Institute, South Hall, 249 Lambert Rd, Carpinteria, CA 93013

Presented by

Roxane Maiko Byrne, PhD
Coordinator of Equity, Diversity and Cultural Competency,
Santa Barbara City College

Roxane has an M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University and a Ph.D. in Human Development from Fielding Graduate University. As a multiracial, multicultural woman of color, her scholarly and professional work sits near and dear to her heart. Roxane’s research examines multiracial student experiences of identity and belonging in racial affinity spaces. Roxane has worked in higher education for over 16 years as an educational administrator, adjunct faculty, classified staff, and a personal counselor. She currently oversees multiple programs and centers within the Office of Equity, Diversity and Cultural Competency at SBCC including the Center for Equity and Social Justice, the Umoja Center for Black Student Success, The Dream Center for Undocumented Student Success, Basic Needs Centers, and is the founder of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI+) Staff and Faculty Association. Roxane is the proud mom of three multiracial children and she hopes her work offers support to individuals, families, and systems.

Allison Davis-White Eyes, Ph.D.
VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,
Fielding Graduate University

Dr. Allison Davis-White Eyes currently serves as the Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Fielding Graduate University. Her professional areas of expertise focus on strategic organizational change, strategic partnerships, community building, inter-departmental collaboration, interdisciplinary teaching and research, international partnerships, Indigenous policy, academic partnerships, and student development (both graduate and undergraduate).

Allison earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in American History), and her Master of Arts from UCLA in American Indian Studies with a specific focus on History and Law. In addition, Allison earned her Ph.D. from OSU in Adult Higher Education with an emphasis on International Education. Currently, Dr. Davis-White Eyes is affiliate faculty within the School of Public Policy and the School of Language, Culture and Society at Oregon State University.

Her research areas of interest include: post-colonial cosmopolitanism, trans-national feminism, subaltern research ethics and decolonizing methodologies, inclusive democracy, mobilities of culture and identity, queering of identity and space, critical nation-building and sovereignty, as well as intersectionality in theory and organizational praxis.

Dr. Allison’s bio: https://expertfile.com/experts/allison.daviswhiteeyes

Eleanor Fishburn
Tribal Chair, Barbareño Band of Chumash Indians,
and Secretary, Barbareño/Ventureño Band of Mission Indians

Eleanor is a descendant of the Ventureño and Barbareño Chumash who lived off the nearby coast and Channel Islands. Her great, great grandfather Juan de Jesus Tumamait served as a translator between the Mission padres and the Indians, working to keep peace. Tumamait also played violin in the first Indian orchestra at the Mission. Her father, Benjamin Arellanes, was proud of his Chumash heritage and instilled in Eleanor the same pride and spirit from the beginning, frequently taking the family to pow wows at the Santa Ynez reservation. Eleanor keeps the Chumash story alive, through teaching the language, community awareness, land acknowledgment and as a docent for the Museum of Ventura County.

“There’s a story, a need for the truth to be told. The Chumash are still here.”

Tracy Fisher, Ph.D.
Public Trustee and Affiliate Faculty,
Fielding Graduate University

Tracy Fisher, PhD works at the intersections of Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Black Diaspora Studies, and Cultural Anthropology. She takes a critical intersectional approach to explore the ways in which people of different racial-ethnic backgrounds have actively transformed racial meanings and struggle to build transracial-ethnic gendered solidarities within a particular constellation of intersecting political-economic and socio-cultural circumstances. She comes to Fielding Graduate University with much experience in teaching, researching, organizing, and participating in a range of interdisciplinary projects and collaborations rooted in social justice.

Dr. Fisher is the author of What’s Left of Blackness: Feminisms, Transracial Solidarities, and the Politics of Belonging in Britain (Palgrave Macmillan Press, Comparative Feminist Studies Series). The book analyzes the transformations in black women’s grassroots socially engaged political work in England—from anti-imperialist groups to service providers—alongside shifts in Britain’s political economy and the deployment of blackness as a political imaginary from the late 1960s until the 2000s. She is also the co-editor of Gendered Citizenships: Transnational Perspectives on Knowledge Production, Political Activism, and Culture (Palgrave Macmillan Press, Comparative Feminist Studies Series). This book’s central epistemological intervention lies in the critical linkages made between feminist theories of intersectionality, ethnographic studies of citizenship, and feminist theories of citizenship. It features ethnographic research on cultural citizenship and women of color in the US and beyond. Her work has also appeared in peer-reviewed journals and anthologies.

Before joining Fielding Graduate University, Dr. Fisher was visiting faculty at Scripps College and Pitzer College, and she was on the faculty at UC Riverside. Read more at: expertfile.com/experts/tracy.fisherphd

Kristin Flickinger
Executive Director, Pacific Pride

An activist at her core, Kristin began her career in the LGBTQ+ arena as an intern for the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force in the ‘90s, and cut her teeth in politics managing a field office during the same-sex marriage campaigns of the 2000s. Never afraid to voice important questions, Kristin’s style of leadership is transparent, bold, and collaborative. As Director of AIDS/LifeCycle, she led a team of high-performing fundraisers toward goals viewed as “impossible” by others, achieving a $1 million (20%) increase in fundraising in her first year.

Before her current role with Pacific Pride Foundation, Kristin brought her passion for advocacy and inclusion to the C-suite Director of Programs role for the Los Angeles LGBT Center, where she oversaw a portfolio that included 150 staff and a $15 million budget. In that role as a senior leader for the world’s largest LGBT organization, Kristin served as an inclusion champion, overseeing organization-wide efforts to improve services to and employment practices for lesbian and bi women, and cross-departmental collaboration among providers of services to the Trans community. Kristin also played an instrumental role in the creation of an intergenerational culinary arts training program designed to provide LGBTQ+ youth and seniors at risk of homelessness with the skills and opportunity for careers in the culinary arts – including at the Center’s flagship social enterprise, Liberation Coffee House.

In her current role as Executive Director of Pacific Pride Foundation, Kristin oversees a broad suite of services, including peer support programs, training and education, counseling, and harm reduction, including Narcan and fentanyl test strip distribution, as well as the county’s only syringe exchange.

Kristin can be reached at kristin@pacificpridefoundation.org or (805) 963-3636 x109

Thyonne Gordon, Ph.D.
Chair, Pacifica Board of Trustees

Holding a Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Development from Fielding Graduate University, Dr. Gordon brings an extensive experiential background in organizational structure and management to Pacifica’s Board of Trustees. Dr. Gordon is a Business Profit Strategist, Producer and Writer working with small business Executives to accelerate their growth through her proven methodology of S.T.O.R.Y. (Structure, Targets, Ownership, Relatability and YOU).

According to Dr. Gordon, “Many businesses fall into the trap of using a head focused model and approach to build their business. My S.T.O.R.Y. process integrates a “head” and “heart” approach, which accelerates financial profits and offers a sophisticated way to handle even the toughest decisions.”

Dr. Gordon also uses this “head / heart” approach through her philanthropic endeavors, which includes mentoring young people through challenging issues. Her ability to shed light on causes that provide positive impact was documented in the film, From Watts to Africa, which showcased at the 2015 Pan African Film Festival. JOIN Dr. Gordon and bring your business to life with Purpose, Passion and Profit.

She joined the Pacifica Board of Trustees in 2007 and became Chair in 2015. Read more at: drthyonne.com

Lito Hernandez Quartet

Lito Hernandez is a multifaceted instrumentalist, and has graced the stage with musicians like Kanye West, Shadmehr Aghili and Surfaces. Lito studied at the Berklee School of Music with a major in Saxophone.

The ensemble members are:

Lito Hernandez – Sax
Matthew Raphaelian – Drums
Rob Moreno – Bass
Wes Marquette – Guitar

Akil Asim Hill
Senior Admissions & Records Technician,
Santa Barbara City College

Akil’s roots in Santa Barbara run deep. A member of the Gilbert family (one of the earliest Black families to migrate to Santa Barbara from the South), his experiences as the son of an Air Force veteran and former Black Panther shaped his understanding of race and racism from an early age. Following in his mother’s footsteps, Akil became involved in antiracism work as a high schooler in the 1990’s. He served as the president of the Black Student Union at Santa Barbara High School and worked closely with his mentor and community activist, Babatunde Folayemi to support youth of color in Santa Barbara.

Today, Akil continues his antiracism work with an emphasis on supporting youth and families. He serves on the SBUSD Combatting Anti-Blackness Task Force, he is the co-founder of the Black Faculty and Staff Association at Santa Barbara City College and serves as the co-advisor of the Black Student Union at SBCC. Akil is the proud father of three multiracial children and works together with his wife Roxane as a consultant, speaker, and advocate.

Hilary Lyn
Director of Alumni Relations – Fielding

Over the past ten years at Fielding, Hilary Lyn has spearheaded transformative engagement strategies that have consistently driven year-over-year growth – most notably, in 2021, she led the institution’s largest global web series resulting in historical attendance and engagement. Before moving into the non-profit sector, Hilary was noted as top-producing, award-winning account executive for the Fortune 500 company Fidelity National Title in San Luis Obispo and Newport Beach/Laguna Beach. Hilary began her educational career at Westmont and Santa Barbara City College, she went on to complete a MS in kinesiology from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, a certificate in business administration from UCSB, and a MA in organizational development and leadership from Fielding Graduate University. Outside of her day job, Hilary champions female entrepreneurship and leadership development as a health, wellness, leadership & organizational development consultant. She also volunteers for the Santa Barbara Scholarship Foundation and is honored to be the incoming president of the Association for Women in Communications – Santa Barbara. She is a proud Santa Barbara native and enjoys soaking up the sun, reading about transformative change and emergent strategy, paddle boarding, dancing, and drawing. Connect with Hilary on LinkedIn or email her at hilary@pivot-rise.com.

Dr. Leonie H. Mattison, Ed.D
President/CEO Pacifica Graduate Institute

Dr. Leonie H. Mattison 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. Formerly Chief Operating Officer of a community agency that provides education and support services for vulnerable Santa Barbara residents. She began her term on October 3, 2022. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Rev. Dr. David N. Moore, Jr.
Lead Pastor, New Covenant Worship Center

The Rev. Dr. David N. Moore, Jr. is an ecumenical teacher and author. He attributes his love for the world to seeing it through the lens of the camera of his father, a career Navy photographer. His mother has always been the extrovert, and the Navy family friendships that grew from this made David feel at home around people of many backgrounds.

He selected Communication Studies as an undergraduate major at the University of California, with the aspiration of working in television news, but while a sophomore at UC San Diego, he responded to another calling, that of biblical scholarship and teaching.

Upon graduating from UC Santa Barbara, he interned at a local Church of God in Christ, first as a youth minister, and then as an assistant pastor.

At age 27 David was appointed by the late Bishop J. A. Blake to the church in Santa Barbara now known as New Covenant Worship Center. After 10 years with this church, David was invited by the Southern California District of Foursquare Churches to take the leadership of one of their churches, in Oxnard. Not thinking it was God’s plan that he leave the Santa Barbara church, he offered to minister in Oxnard only if he could stay with New Covenant Church. After a time of prayer, Foursquare church officials made the exceptional move of, with Bishop Charles Blake’s support, assigning the church in Oxnard to David. He continues to serve both churches.

He earned his Master’s degree from St. Stephen’s University in New Brunswick, Canada, and currently holds an appointment to adjunct faculty there, teaching Ancient Mediterranean History. He earned his Theology doctorate in 2014. Two South African presidents, Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma, are included among those who studied at the University of South Africa before David, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu is also an alumnus. David and Diane have been married for 38 years and have 5 adult children.

Ms. Palacio, an internationally-lauded poet, author, and speaker, will serve as Santa Barbara’s first Chicana Poet Laureate. Her chapbook, Folsom Lockdown, won Kulupi Press’ Sense of Place award. Her novel, Ocotillo Dreams, received the Mariposa Award for Best First Book at the 2012 International Latino Book Awards, as well as a PEN Oakland-Josephine Miles Award for Excellence in Literature. Her full-length poetry collection, How Fire Is a Story, Waiting, received First Prize in Poetry at the International Latino Book Awards. Her work has also been featured on the Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day Program. Locally, Melinda received first place in Poetry at the 2003 Santa Barbara Writers Conference.

The City of Santa Barbara Poet Laureate Program was established in 2005 to inspire and remind the local community of the power and beauty of poetry and the spoken word. The Santa Barbara Public Library serves as the official “home” of the Poet Laureate Program and a major partner in the stewardship of this program. Learn more about the library’s events supporting literary arts here.

Marvin Richards
General Counsel at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Previously, Marvin was the Chief General Counsel for the nation’s seventh largest public housing authority and also served as Deputy General Counsel at a large college. Mr. Richards chairs the Board of Directors of NewBridge Cleveland, a community-based, social-emotional arts-infused after school program and workforce training center. Additionally, he is a Captain (O-6) in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps reserve.

Sojourner Kincaid Rolle
First African American/Black Poet Laureate, Santa Barbara

Wendy Sims-Moten
President, SB Unified School District Board

Wendy Sims-Moten, elected to the Santa Barbara Unified School District Board in 2016, is the executive director of First 5 Santa Barbara County. She has worked for the county for 23 years and has been an active resident for 30 years.

Sims-Moten, who served as Santa Barbara Unified School Board President in 2019, has dedicated much of her life to the progress and well-being of the community, having been involved in several organizations including the original Santa Barbara County Employee University Governing Council, Gateway Educational Services, CAUSE Action Fund, African American Women of Santa Barbara County, United Way Women United, and Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee.

Her commitment to education and children make her a great addition to the board of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation.

Ivory Toldson, Ph.D.
National Director of Education Innovation and Research, NAACP

Dr. Ivory A. Toldson is the national director of Education Innovation and Research for the NAACP, professor of counseling psychology at Howard University and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Negro Education. Previously, Dr. Toldson was appointed by President Barack Obama to devise national strategies to sustain and expand federal support to HBCUs as the executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (WHIHBCUs). He also served as president and CEO of the QEM Network and contributing education editor for The Root, where he debunked some of the most pervasive myths about African-Americans in his Show Me the Numbers column.  Dr. Toldson is the executive editor of the Journal of Policy Analysis and Research, published by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. He is also the author of Brill Bestseller, No BS (Bad Stats): Black People Need People Who Believe in Black People Enough Not to Believe Every Bad Thing They Hear about Black People. Dr. Toldson is ranked among the nation’s top education professors as a member of Education Week’s Edu-Scholar Public Influence Rankings, an annual list recognizes university-based scholars across the nation who are champions in shaping educational practice and policy.  Dr. Toldson serves on the board of Fielding Graduate University. Read more at: https://toldson.com/biography

Dianne Travis-Teague
Senior Director of Alumni Relations,
Pacifica Graduate Institute

As Senior Director of Alumni Relations, Dianne continues creating and maintaining pathways for alumni participation that advance the goals of the Institute: partnering with colleagues and communities to identify, cultivate, and steward alumni giving in a multiplicity of ways. Pacifica alumni are, in so many ways, the blood soul of Pacifica. Their work is an expression of Pacifica’s mission to tend the soul of and in the world.

Clear to all who have interacted with Dianne, her commitment and enthusiasm is remarkable and infectious. Her efforts are central to the Alumni Association’s success and the success of the countless organizations and partnerships she works with.

Dianne can be reached at (805) 879-7303 or dtravis-teague@pacifica.edu

Wendi Williams, Ph.D.
Provost & Sr. VP, Fielding Graduate University

Psychologist, advocate, and educator, Dr. Wendi Williams applies her work at the intersection of education and psychology to her scholarship and leadership praxis. Williams completed undergraduate studies at the University of California, Davis where she majored in psychology and minored in African and African American Studies. She completed graduate study at Pepperdine University (MA in Psychology) and Georgia State University, where she earned a doctorate in counseling psychology, with an emphasis in multicultural psychology and family systems.

In a career spanning two decades, Williams’ work delves into the contours of Black women’s and girls’ inner lives, leveraging deep knowledge of their interiority as source content for the development of culturally-responsive educational and psychological interventions. Applying critical lenses of liberation psychology and Womanist, Black, and Intersectional feminist theoretical frames with an equity-centered systems power analysis, Williams develops and implements educational, wellness, and leadership intervention programming with individuals, groups, and organizations. Her work attends to the individual and organizational transformation required to foment the optimal growth and development of diverse women and girls, while attending to the organizational and societal systems-level change required for sustainable equity practice. Read more at: expertfile.com/experts/wendi.williamsphd