LBJ School Master of Public Affairs and RGK Nonprofit Studies Portfolio alumna Becky Pastner has spent over 20 years contributing to the Texas community. During her sixteen years with the St. David’s Foundation, she played a pivotal role in deploying billions of dollars throughout Central Texas.
“Thousands of families and individuals’ lives have improved,” Pastner said. “And that is very gratifying and meaningful to me.”
Pastner, formerly an adjunct assistant professor at the LBJ School, also served as Vice President of Evaluation and Strategic Learning at St. David's Foundation. She began her career as a graduate school intern and went on to work in a variety of roles, including advocacy, education policy, and immigration legal services. In 2022, she launched her own business, Pastner Leadership, where she provides leadership coaching to individuals, teams, and organizations.
“Reflecting on my career, it's funny,” Pastner said. “I studied international political science in college, and then did work at the state level, and now I work with individuals.”
Growing up in Vermont as a child of two anthropologist parents, Pastner has always been fascinated by the cultural influences of social behavior. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Haverford College, she moved to Austin for what she believed would be a one-year stint as an AmeriCorps volunteer.
“Philanthropy in Latin is love of humanity,” Pastner said. “It’s tangibly improving people's lives. I always knew that I was drawn to work that felt like it was making a positive difference in people's lives.”
However, she quickly became enamored with Texas culture and nonprofit work, leading her to the LBJ School of Public Affairs. Pastner graduated in 2007 and concentrated her studies in Health and Social Policy and earned the Nonprofit Studies graduate portfolio from the RGK Center.
“When I first moved here, having come from the East Coast, there was just this warmth and openness that people had,” Pastner said. “It really appealed to me. That creativity, warmth, and openness have helped me feel like this is a really vibrant and exciting place. I’ve never felt bored in Austin.”
Pastner said that one course that stands out during her time at the LBJ School was one offered by the RGK Center and taught by Deborah Edwards, who was the Founding Director of Greenlights for Nonprofit Success, now Mission Capital.
“She taught a really awesome nonprofit strategy course,” Pastner said. “It was case study-based, and so we really got to dive into these real situations and learn the fundamentals about developing strategy in nonprofits, board governance, and program evaluation.”
Pastner worked for five years before attending the LBJ School and continued her work at St. David’s Foundation during her studies, connecting her academic learning with hands-on experience.
“In this age of AI, knowledge is everywhere, but knowledge isn't the same as wisdom,” Pastner said. “It’s important to really lean into that human ability of connecting concepts to experiences.”
The LBJ School gave Pastner a strong background in health policy, which aided in understanding the complex contexts of the policy environment. The multitude of classes offered at the school also helped the philanthropist gain a working understanding of leading a nonprofit, as well as writing clearly and succinctly in plain language that helped inform and influence decision-makers. However, Pastner said the expansive alumni network is her favorite resource that the school offers.
“The alumni network is incredible,” Pastner said. “I work with fellow students from my cohort all the time, or I'm interacting with folks who went to the LBJ School before me. It's a really awesome community of smart people who care. Really, the alumni community is one of the greatest assets of the school.”
Learn more about the Master of Public Affairs program and RGK Center offerings. Apply by December 1 for priority funding.