Christina Pate

Overview

Christina Pate is a people and culture strategy leader with over 20 years of experience directing data-driven, people-focused change within complex organizations. She specializes in strategic planning, learning and development, change management, organizational culture, and well-being. Pate uses a collaborative approach to co-design innovative improvement strategies, focusing on human-centered leadership and inclusive cultures. She partners with leaders and cross-functional teams to build high-performing, healthy teams through developing mindsets, practices, and systems that support individual and organizational development. 

As Director of WestEd’s Safe and Supportive Learning Environments, she designed and successfully piloted and scaled professional learning programs across multiple states and hundreds of agencies, enhancing professional learning and organizational culture and promoting well-being. She also currently directs the Oregon Department of Education’s Transformative SEL learning design project and the Maryland State Department of Education’s Comprehensive School Safety professional learning project. 

As Deputy Director of the National Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and School Safety, she led strategy benefiting 15 states and hundreds of local agencies, increasing organizational capacity and improved engagement. As Project Director at NITT-TA Center-Project AWARE, she oversaw teams serving 12 state and 36 local agencies, improving well-being service access and systems integration. As Director of the California Surgeon General’s Safe Spaces Initiative, she designed and delivered learning strategies with 2,500 module completions in 7 months, achieving 97% positive knowledge gain feedback, 94% intent to apply concepts. As Director of the Equity Accelerator, she orchestrated an equity-focused learning initiative for 58 California county agencies and oversaw teams facilitating change management and leadership coaching for 16 select leaders, employing voice and co-design strategies to align efforts and facilitate sustainable transformation. 

Education

• PhD, psychology, University of Missouri-Columbia
• Postdoctoral Fellowship Certificate (PDFC), public health research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Select Publications

Pate, C. M. (2024). Supporting educator well-being: Strategies for self-care. In Perks, K. (Ed.), Transformation Leadership for Rapid School Improvement. Teachers College Press. 

Pate, C. M., Magby, N., and Betz, J. (2024). Foundations of trauma-informed practices in education. In Perks, K. (Ed.), Transformation Leadership for Rapid School Improvement. Teachers College Press. 

Pate, C. M., Pfister, T., & Ripma, T. (2023). Creating a culture of care: A guide for education leaders to develop systems and structures that support educator well-being. Center to Improve SEL and School Safety, WestEd. https://www.wested.org/resources/creating-a-culture-of-care/ 

Pate, C. M., Glymph, A., Joiner, T., & Bhagwandeen, R. (2023). Students as co-creators of educational environments. In Evans, S. W., Owens, J. S., Bradshaw, C. P, & Weist, M.D. (Eds.), Handbook of School Mental Health – Innovations in Science and Practice (3rd Ed.). Springer. 

Pate, C. M. (2023). The conditions for thriving: Unearthing the root causes of safety and wellbeing. Keynote Address for the New York State Education Department (NYSED) School Safety Summit. 

Pate, C. M. (2022). Fortifying ourselves and the work toward education justice: Attending to the mental health of educators and students. Keynote Address for the Midwest & Plans (MAP) Equity Assistance Center Equity Leaders Institute. 

Pate, C., Tilley-Gyado, T., & Betz, J. (2022). Connecting the brain and body to support equity work: A toolkit for education leaders. WestEd. https://wested2024.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/11172413/Brain-Body-Educ-Equity-Leaders_Brief.pdf  

Trout, L., Pate, C. M., Wu, K., McKenna, J. (2022). Reimagining school safety: A guide for schools and communities. Center to Improve SEL and School Safety, WestEd. https://www.wested.org/resources/reimagining-school-safety-guide/ 

Pate, C. M. (2020). Self-care strategies for educators during the coronavirus crisis: Supporting personal social and emotional well-being. Center to Improve SEL and School Safety, WestEd. https://selcenter.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Self_Care_Strategies_for_Educators_During_the_Coronavirus_Crisis.pdf

Pate, C. M. (2020). Strategies for trauma-informed distance learning. Center to Improve SEL and School Safety, WestEd. https://selcenter.wested.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/SEL_Center_Strategies_for_Trauma_Informed_Distance_Learning_Brief.pdf