After serving terms that span nearly ten years of service on the University of the Pacific Board of Regents, Mary-Elizabeth Eberhardt ’76 and Paul Dassenko and ’82 are concluding their terms, leaving behind a legacy of leadership and service that helped guide the university through a period of historic growth and transformation.

Mary-Elizabeth Eberhardt

Eberhardt has served on Pacific's Board of Regents since 2017 and has chaired the board since 2023. During her tenure, the university has reached record enrollment, achieved unprecedented financial stability and earned its highest national rankings.

The College of the Pacific graduate, whose leadership has shaped both Pacific and the Central Valley for decades, received an honorary Doctor of Business Administration degree at Pacific’s commencement in May in recognition of her lifelong service to the university, Stockton and San Joaquin County.

During her tenure, Pacific approved 11 new academic degree programs, expanded its athletic offerings despite nationwide program cuts, achieved designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, completed major capital projects across its three campuses and launched a historic multi-year partnership with the San Francisco 49ers.

She has endowed three scholarships and two endowed chairs, and with her family and Bank of Stockton has supported numerous academic and capital projects, including the planned student-athlete and sports medicine center.

“Mary-Elizabeth has had a phenomenal impact on Pacific,” President Christopher Callahan said. “Her dedication to students is evident in everything she does, and her leadership has strengthened our efforts to support student success in meaningful ways. She consistently uplifts those around her—whether encouraging students, supporting athletics or leading the board. Her energy and commitment are exceptional, and I am sincerely grateful to work alongside her.”

A lifelong Stockton resident, Eberhardt has also built a distinguished career in banking and community leadership. Her family has operated Bank of Stockton, California's oldest bank, since 1949. As vice president and director of community banking, she oversees the retail division for the bank's 21 branches across nine counties.

For more than four decades, Eberhardt has worked to expand access to banking services for underserved communities throughout the Central Valley, helping low-income families, immigrants and others gain access to financial resources. Her efforts have strengthened economic opportunity for small businesses and mission-driven organizations while improving financial infrastructure in communities with limited access to traditional banking services.

She also launched the bank's universal banker program, which prepares employees to provide a broad range of financial services while creating pathways for internal advancement. The program has helped strengthen employee retention and improve customer service across the bank's branch network.

Paul Dassenko 

Since joining Pacific's Board of Regents in 2017, Dassenko has helped strengthen the university's financial position and support a period of significant institutional growth.

A member of the board's investment committee, which he chaired for two years, Dassenko played a key role in the stewardship of Pacific's endowment, which has grown by more than $300 million during his tenure. He also served as vice chair of the Board of Regents during the 2024–25 academic year and was a member of the university's 2019 presidential search committee.

Pacific President Christopher Callahan credited Dassenko's leadership with helping advance the university during a period of historic achievement.

"Paul's leadership has helped position Pacific for long-term success," said President Christopher Callahan. "Throughout his service on the Board of Regents, the university achieved historic enrollment, reached its highest national rankings, approved 30 new academic programs and opened the School of Health Sciences in Sacramento. He also helped lead Pacific through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic while supporting major investments across our campuses. We are stronger today because of his dedication."

Dassenko, a McGeorge School of Law alumnus, has also remained deeply engaged with his alma mater. He joined the McGeorge International Board of Advisors in 2014 and delivered the law school's commencement address in 2017.

In 2018, he established the Paul Dassenko Endowed Scholarship, leveraging the Powell Match to double its impact. The scholarship supports McGeorge students pursuing careers in international law or alternative dispute resolution.

Learn more about the Board of Regents.