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Dr. Portia  Jackson-Preston

Dr. Portia Jackson-Preston

Assistant Professor of Public Health at California State University Fullerton, Educator, Speaker & Agent of Change

Dr. Portia Jackson-Preston

Assistant Professor of Public Health at California State University Fullerton, Educator, Speaker & Agent of Change

Biography

“Our experience working with Dr. Portia Jackson Preston was nothing short of amazing. Dr. Jackson Preston is clearly passionate about her work, which made her presentation even more inspiring. We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from conference attendees. Overall, Dr. Portia Jackson Preston was wonderful to work with and is an incredibly engaging speaker. If you are searching for an inspiring and passionate keynote speaker, look no further!” -Connect for Health Colorado

“She easily engaged the group ...people were moved and motivated by her message. She has a natural approach to speaking and I would definitely recommend her for any speaker engagement, facilitation or coaching. Her energy is contagious and perspective and experience is invaluable!” - G3 Conference

“Thank you so much for sharing your life struggles and triumphs with us...We appreciated your vulnerability as you moved us through traditional definitions of balance to your own life struggles and ways to ensure personal wellness in our own lives... We will definitely remember your talk for years to come!” - National Black Women’s Life Balance and Wellness

Dr. Portia Jackson Preston is an Assistant Professor of Public Health at California State University, Fullerton, where she conducts research on multilevel approaches to self-care, and examines stressors such as racism drivers of health inequity. Prior to her career in academia, she worked for Deloitte Consulting and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, consulted for Susan G. Komen Orange County, and founded Active Steps Coaching.

Her interests in individual and organizational well-being stem from her personal journey. Just after finishing graduate school, Portia was diagnosed with a chronic illness. She remembers learning that stress could negatively affect health, but didn’t really believe it until she spent several years trying to recover her health while building her career. She discovered that the intense drive to which she attributed her success, could not be sustained in the long-term. The turning point came when she accepted that she had to redefine the way that she approached work.

This was a crushing experience for someone who had long derived her worth from her achievements. She finally stopped asking, “How hard can I push?”, and instead got serious about making her well-being a priority too. Along the way, she became curious about identifying approaches to help organizations better promote the well-being of their employees. Through her work, she helps individuals to create a personalized self-care plan that is adapted to their needs, and helps organizations cultivate a culture that reinforces self-care for sustainable performance.

Her personal self-care practice is informed by a range of modalities, including training received in Mindful Self-Compassion and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, as well as emotional competence through Equilibrium Dynamics. “If you have a leadership role in a workplace or political sphere, use your influence to make holistic well-being a practical reality for all.” Dr. Jackson Preston earned her Doctorate of Public Health from UCLA, her Masters of Public Health from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and her Bachelors degree from Stanford University.

Speaker Videos

TEDx: The Missing Ingredient in Self Care

Speech Topics

Portia has worked with many clients to deliver high-quality live and in person, as well as remote presentations (both live and recorded) that are engaging for participants. She works with you and your team to provide offerings that serve the needs of your organization to deliver an experience based on your objectives. Right from the beginning you can expect a quick turnaround on emails and requests, as Portia is deeply invested in your success. She ensures the presentation or workshop she conducts for you is current and cutting edge, and presents information in a way that is easy for your audience to grasp and apply immediately.

Workplace Well-Being

Multilevel approaches to promoting holistic well-being in the workplace, and developing an action plan for individual self-care and creating an organizational culture of self-care.

Education K-12

Learn holistic approaches to promote student success! Portia will help educators review how they navigate personal and professional responsibilities, develop boundaries to promote their well-being, and effectively utilize learning management systems and other tools to advance equity in the classroom. Participants discuss approaches they can use to proactively identify student needs in light of the transition to virtual learning, and connect students with resources that promote their holistic well-being (e.g. basic needs resources, warmlines, etc.).

Healthcare

This keynote is for community health workers, hospital administrators and non-clinical staff.

Testimonials