Leonie H. Mattison has accepted the position of chief operating officer with CommUnify, the Board of Directors of CommUnify, a Community Action Agency, has announced.
Mattison, who lives in Santa Barbara County, has 15 years of experience in nonprofit, government and corporate environments. She holds a doctorate in education from Argosy University and an MBA from Georgian Court University.
She has served as division chief, Organization & Talent Development, for Santa Barbara County since 2017. Previously, she was director of research operations and major grants for Sansum Diabetes Research Institute in Santa Barbara, and senior grants administrator/head of government training and development for New York City’s Department of Health & Mental Hygiene.
Mattison has also completed certification in Black Belt & Green Process Improvement (2019) and was recognized by the Pacific Coast Business Times as a leader of “40 under 40” in the category of Clinical Research, Higher Education and Public Service.
“We are thrilled that Leonie will be joining our team at CommUnify,” said Patricia Keelean, CEO. “Her depth of experience working in the nonprofit, corporate and public sectors make her uniquely qualified for this leadership position, and her creativity and enthusiasm are a perfect fit for our organization as we continue to serve our community.”
As an international speaker, advocate, and self-published author of “The Thread Collection,” Mattison helps female trauma survivors achieve intentional transformation. She has donated more than 100 copies of her books to Santa Barbara County jail, healing programs nationwide, and survivors living in low-income communities.
“I am excited and honored to join an organization that is so well respected and beneficial across Santa Barbara County,” she said. “The services CommUnify provides and the issues being worked on are so critical to transforming thousands of lives.
“As I move into this role as chief operating officer, I look forward to working alongside our CEO and the rest of our passionate team to help bolster the strategic plan that will enable us to meet the new and existing needs of our county residents, including improving their economic security and self-sufficiency. Our organization’s future is bright.”
Mattison serves the Santa Barbara community as an adjunct graduate professor at Antioch University, an instructor with Santa Barbara City College-School of Extended Learning, and an undergraduate mentor at Westmont College.