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Kirsten Peterson Johansen, with over 25 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, development, and campaign management across the arts, cultural, environmental and higher education sectors, has joined Seaver College at Pepperdine University as its new Vice Chancellor for Development. 

Most recently, she served as Chief Advancement Officer for Holocaust Museum LA and the Goldrich Cultural Center. Previously, she was Chief of External Affairs for the Catalina Island Conservancy, where she led development, membership, campaign management, communications and marketing, board development, and community and government relations. 

Previously, Johansen served as Assistant Dean of the USC School of Architecture, strategically leading advancement and engagement while stewarding two dynamic boards and cultivating relationships across the university, and with faculty, alumni, donors, parents, institutional funders, and industry partners around the world. 

Her career has also included leadership roles with the Phoenix Art Museum, National Park Foundation, Smithsonian Institution, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, spanning two decades of professional experience in Washington, D.C., and Phoenix, AZ. 

A proud third-generation Lake Tahoe native, Johansen holds a Bachelor of Arts from Seaver College at Pepperdine University, a Master’s in Public Administration from USC’s Price School of Public Policy, and a Nonprofit Executive Certificate of Management from Georgetown University.

An avid hiker, reader, and traveler, Johansen is deeply committed to living out her faith through professional service and personal devotion. Returning to Pepperdine represents a deeply meaningful opportunity to combine her passion for mission-driven work, philanthropy, and community with the university that shaped her own journey.