Board of Visitors
Statement of Purpose
The Board of Visitors supports and advances the mission of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) and Pepperdine University. As ambassadors for GSEP, board members serve as advisors to the dean and faculty, introduce leaders in the educational, mental health and business community to Pepperdine, and assist with public relations on a national and global level. Members of the board contribute considerable personal and professional talents, contacts, and resources that are invaluable to the advancement of GSEP.
Board Directory
Dr. Yolanda Aguerrebere, EdD
Yolanda Aguerrebere graduated with a master of science in school management and administration from GSEP in 1983 and earned her doctor of education in organizational leadership from GSEP in 2009. She retired in 2010, after 35 years of service; she spent 24 years with the Los Angeles Unified School District and 11 years with the El Rancho Unified School District. She has been a teacher, instructional advisor, elementary and secondary principal, mentor, consultant, researcher, and international speaker. She resides in Placentia, California.
Dr. Fereshteh Amin, EdD
Fereshteh Amin received her BS in statistics from Shiraz University and graduated
with an MBA in 1993 from Industrial Management Institute in Tehran, Iran. Prior to
her move to the U.S., she was an organizational development consultant at the Industrial
Management Institute, and an academic editor at the University Publishing Center,
both in Tehran. She earned her doctor of education in organizational leadership from
Pepperdine University in 2006.
Since 2006, she has been the principal of Amin Leadership Center, a leadership development
training and coaching organization focused on multicultural leadership. She has published
several scholarly articles on multicultural leadership. Her dissertation was published
in Germany, and translated and published in Iran. She lives in Los Angeles.
Ms. Jenna Marie Burkey
Jenna Marie Burkey graduated from Seaver College in 2008, with a bachelor's degree
in business administration and a minor in nonprofit management. After interning with
the Ventura County Office of Education, she returned to Pepperdine for two more degrees:
a master of business administration from the Graziadio Business School in 2010, and
a master of arts in social entrepreneurship and change from GSEP in 2013.
She is the second vice president for the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, having served
as a board member since 2005. She is active in the Santa Barbara Foundation Roundtable,
is a board member for Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families, and also serves
on the Seaver Board of Visitors for Pepperdine University. She resides in Santa Barbara,
California.
Dr. Randy Clark, EdD
Randy Clark earned his doctor of education in organizational leadership degree from
GSEP in 2005, and was formerly an adjunct faculty member at the Graziadio School of
Business Management.
He has served as CEO of various produce and agriculture companies, and is currently
on the board of a public company, as well as advising and consulting for a number
of other entities. He is also on the Pepperdine Alumni Leadership Council. He lives
in Spokane, Washington.
Dr. James B. Douglass, PhD
James B. Douglass received his doctorate in applied statistics and research design
from Michigan State University, has completed multiple courses of study in Oxford,
and is passionate about providing mental health services to the underserved. He is
an experienced financial consultant, currently serving as second vice president at
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney.
Ms. Carolyn M. Harrison
Carolyn M. Harrison received her bachelor's degree from USC and her executive MBA
from the Graziadio Business School. She currently is a student in the Doctor of Education
in Organizational Leadership program at GSEP, and invests and manages residential
real estate through Harrison Property Acquisition and Management Company.
For 18 years, she served as administrator of the Law Offices of John Scott Matthew.
Passionate about literacy and education, she has been a volunteer reading instructor
at Cheremoya Elementary School in Hollywood for several years. In addition, she serves
on the Board of Trustees at the College of Saint Mary Magdalen in New Hampshire.
Dr. Rosalyn S. Heyman
Rosalyn Heyman was honored by GSEP with an honorary Doctor of Laws in 2008. Her career
in education was long and distinguished, and included positions as a counselor, department
chair, budget consultant, business education and English teacher, assistant principal,
and principal.
She retired from her position with the Los Angeles Unified School District as assistant
superintendent of secondary education in 1990. She lives in Woodland Hills, California.
Dr. Karen Khaleghi, PhD
Karen Khaleghi graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a BA in
1980, and earned both her MA and PhD in clinical psychology from the California Graduate
institute. She wrote her dissertation on personality characteristics of alcoholics.
She is also the coauthor of The Anatomy of Addiction.
In 1989 she cofounded Creative Care Malibu with her husband Dr. Morteza Khaleghi,
providing a warm, genuine atmosphere in which addicts can successfully find refuge
and support for their addictions. She currently works as a renowned marriage, family,
and child counselor. She has been featured on prime time and local news shows, including
Dr. Phil, KCAL 9, The Ricki Lake Show, The Today Show, and many others. She lives
in the Pacific Palisades with her loving husband and children.
Dr. Claudette McLinn, EdD
Claudette McLinn received a master of science degree from GSEP in 1983, and a doctor
of education in organizational leadership degree from GSEP in 2006. She is executive
director of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature, an organization
which advocates for multicultural children's literature. She is a life member of the
American Library Associations and has chaired and served on many prestigious book
award committees in the organization.
She has been a teacher, school librarian, district supervisor of ESEA Title V Library
Services, and field administrator for elementary and secondary school libraries in
the Los Angeles Unified School District. She retired from Los Angeles Unified School
District in 2011, and lives in Simi Valley, California.
Dr. Michael O'Sullivan, EdD
Michael O'Sullivan received his master of science in administration from GSEP in 1974
and his doctor of education in institutional management from GSEP in 1987. He is retired
from the Los Angeles Unified School District, after 44 years of service.
He spent six years as president of the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles, serving
nearly 3,000 administrators in contract negotiation and related matters. He remains
a part-time field representative for the union.
Dr. Richard Sherman, PhD
Richard Sherman is a clinical psychologist who has been active in organizations serving
psychologists and the consumer for many years. He served on the California Board of
Psychology for five years (2007-2012), the last two as its president. He is also a
past president of the California Psychological Association and the Los Angeles County
Psychological Association.
He has a small private practice, and has consulted with various corporations and their
staff. He is an author and an occasional radio contributor. He is also active in local
and national political grassroots organizations.
Mrs. Allie Tegner *
Allie Tegner is an alumna of George Pepperdine College, where she received her bachelor's
degree in educational psychology in 1947, and her master's degree in education in
1968. She worked at Taper Avenue Elementary School in San Pedro, California. She met
her husband, Olaf H. Tegner, at Pepperdine. Together the Tegners managed student apartments
on the Pepperdine campus and had two daughters of their own, Mia and Lars.
She has been a huge supporter of GSEP since its inception, and her husband was the
founding dean of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology in 1970.
Dr. Earnestine Thomas-Robertson, EdD
Earnestine Thomas-Robertson is an alumna of George Pepperdine College and of GSEP's
Doctor of Education in Institutional Management program, for which she wrote her dissertation
on Globalizing in Community College Curricula." She is the president of the Los Angeles-Lusaka
Sister City Committee, vice president of business relations for Born Ready Industries,
Inc., and Dean Emeritus of Los Angeles Southwest College.
Dr. Betty Uribe, EdD
Betty Uribe currently serves as the executive vice president at California Bank &
Trust (CB&T) where she leads the Business and Personal Banking Division. She teaches
a leadership program at the University of Southern California for Latino youth, and
serves as an advisory board member for the Anna Maria Arias Foundation. She received
her MBA from the Graziadio Business School in 2000 and her EdD in organizational leadership
from GSEP in 2012.
She is president of the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce in South-East Los Angeles; the
international delegate for the Colombian-American Chamber (Washington, D.C.), a member
of the California Hispanic Chamber and Greater Los Angeles Latino Chamber, as well
as an advisory board member for both Junior Achievement of Orange Country and Next
Step Asia Leadership Training Corporation. She is also a business columnist for Latina
Style Magazine.
Dr. Marilyn Wright, PsyD
Marilyn Wright received both her master's degree in general psychology from GSEP in
1989, and her doctor of psychology from GSEP in 1995. She is a licensed clinical psychologist
in private practice. An adjunct professor at GSEP for 10 years, she was honored as
a Distinguished Alumnus in 2005. She lives in Moraga, California.
Dr. Farshid Zanjani, EdD
Owner and Director, Samoshim Company
Fashid Zanjani received a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Shariff University
of Technology in Iran, a master's degree in chemical engineering (process control)
from the University of Wales in the United Kingdom, and an EdD in organizational leadership
from GSEP. A businessman, he has served as a teacher, consultant, and chemical engineer
in different industries. He is one of the founders of a private university in Iran.
* - Honorary Members