Our Leadership
Maureen Tobin - Executive Director
As the Executive Director, Maureen infuses her passion for effective public engagement
in guiding the work of the Institute. Tobin comes to Davenport after 14 years in local
government where she served as the first Communications and Engagement Manager (subsequently
Director) for the City of Morgan Hill. In her role, she developed, implemented and
led several significant community engagement efforts including a complete street pilot
project that received national attention and the most significant infrastructure project
in the history of Morgan Hill. She also led and facilitated a year-long community
conversation regarding funding, priorities, and options for fiscal sustainability.
Maureen brings a breadth of perspective to the table from past leadership roles in
healthcare, medical transportation, education, and consulting work in the private
sector. She has a Bachelor's degree in Health Science from San Jose State University
and certificates in public participation. She has been a guest lecturer, speaker,
and trainer on many topics including public engagement, work-life balance, and municipal
budgets.
Pooja Bachani Di Giovanna - Assistant Director for Professional Education
As the Assistant Director, Pooja works on curriculum development and program design
for our educational training opportunities, fostering relationships with strategic
partners, and delivering conference presentations. Bringing a breadth of communications
experience to her role, she manages the promotion and marketing of all Davenport offerings
including a growing writing portfolio for the Institute. She works closely with our
Graduate Assistant team and serves as the Faculty Advisory for the student ICMA chapter.
She also serves on the Board of Directors at the National Steinbeck Center, and on
the steering committee and co-chair of the teaching committee for the University Network
of Collaborative Governance. Previously, she worked in Washington D.C. in communications,
advocacy, and partner relations. She has a Masters degree in English Education from
Long Island University, a Masters in English Literature and Literary Theory from the
University of Freiburg, Germany, and Bachelors degrees in English and Philosophy from
Boston University.
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Lynda Havard - Administrative Coordinator As the Administrative Coordinator, Lynda provides administrative support to senior executive management as well as exceptional customer service to the Davenport Institute's Clients and Partners. Lynda’s previous experience in real estate sales, mortgage lending, and project and office management combine to establish a practical skill set of professionalism, building and maintaining relationships and positively influencing people. Most recently, Lynda was an Administrative Assistant at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and participated in the Reagan National Defense Forum, the premier national security, and defense event of the year. Lynda has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing from San Diego State University. She holds a Paralegal Certificate-Litigation from the University of California, Los Angeles (Extension), an ABA-approved program in conjunction with UCLA School of Law. |
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Fellows
Pete Peterson - Senior Fellow, Civic Engagement Training
Pete Peterson was the first executive director of the bi-partisan organization Common
Sense California (CSC). In 2010, CSC became the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement
and Civic Leadership at Pepperdine University. Currently, Peterson serves as dean
of Pepperdine's School of Public Policy. Along with teaching a class on the subject
at Pepperdine, Peterson co-developed the Davenport Institute's training seminars which
have been offered to more than 1,000 public sector leaders. He's also consulted on
many participatory governance projects throughout California on issues ranging from
budgets to water policy. Pete serves on the advisory boards of California's Institute
for Local Government, the Public Policy Institute of California, and the DaVinci Charter
Schools in Hawthorne, CA. Pete earned his BA in History from George Washington University,
and his Masters in Public Policy from Pepperdine's School of Public Policy. He was
the 2014 Republican nominee for California Secretary of State.
Ashley (Trim) Labosier - Senior Fellow
Ashley Labosier (MPP'09) is Senior Fellow to the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement
and Civic Leadership at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy and Director of the
Consortium of Public Service Organizations. She served as executive director of the
Davenport Institute for 5 years, during which time she co-designed and launched the
Professional Certificate in Advanced Public Engagement for Local Government. Ashley
is a national writer and speaker on issues related to civil discourse, public engagement,
and transparency, as well as an adjunct professor at the Pepperdine School of Public
Policy. She has a BA in Government from Patrick Henry College and an MPP from the
Pepperdine School of Public Policy.