Pacific Pride Foundation (PPF) has announced its three newest board members who will support its work to ensure a vibrant and visible LGBTQ+ community in Santa Barbara County.

Beginning their three-year terms in 2023, the new trustees are: Hangping Xu, professor of Chinese and comparative literature at UCSB; Kristy Thomsen, associate director of mission assurance at Raytheon Vision Systems in Goleta; and Dean Carter, chief people and purpose officer at Guild

“We’re beyond excited to introduce three new board members who will bring a diverse set of insight and experience to our Board of Directors,” said Kristin Flickinger, PPF executive director.

“These members embody a period of growth for the PPF board, bringing in new and different voices from the LGBTQ+ community, as well as specific skill sets in education, corporate partnership, human relations, and more,” she said.

Xu graduated from Stanford University with a doctorate in modern Chinese literature and a Ph.D minor in gender and sexuality studies. His teaching and research interests include transnational modernism, disability studies, queer literature and film, aesthetics, and literary theory.

“I admire the level of service and integrity that this institution has demonstrated,” Xu said of PPF. “After being invited to observe the board meetings, I was inspired by this vital culture of shared governance and active participation.

“Throughout the process, our staff members have been super helpful and hospitable. I am very proud of becoming a member of this incredible community.”

As a professor, Xu said he looks forward to playing a role in expanding PPF’s reach to UCSB and SBCC students. He also wants to help advance PPF’s diversity work by reaching out to queer folks of color and to constituents who come from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.

Thomsen has lived, and worked, in Goleta for 22 years with her wife Karen Prechtel after receiving a B.S. in electrical engineering from Cal Poly SLO.

In her 20-plus-year career with Raytheon, she has worked multiple functions and products within the RVS portfolio and served as the site Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council lead.

She developed a strong sense of passion for DE&I over the years seeing firsthand how these programs can both support and grow diversity within a community.

As an innovative and industry-recognized leader of People and Culture for two decades, Carter has made his mark across Fortune 50, rapid growth, and culture-driven organizations.

He was recently named chief people and purpose officer at Guild – a B Corp tech company that aims to unlock opportunity for America’s workforce. The seven years prior to Guild, Dean led global people and culture, legal, and finance teams for Patagonia.

During his career, Carter’s’s perspectives on the innovative opportunities within HR, purpose-driven companies, and a regenerative approach to employee experiences have been featured in numerous media outlets.

Passionate about serving the place where he lives, Carter’s most recent community work focused as a board member for PPF; supporting the LGBTQ+ community on the Central Coast; and the Music Academy, based in Montecito.