Amy Larson
Staff Writer
Actresses Tia and Tamera Mowry and R&B queen Brandy aren’t the only well-known individuals who have attended Pepperdine.
Add David Leaser to the list of up-and-comers who attended Seaver College.
Leaser, a 1986 Pepperdine graduate, came to Malibu from Pennsylvania and has been living in Southern California ever since.
While a student at Pepperdine, Leaser majored in communication.
“Pepperdine really gave me a chance to improve my skills, in the classroom and through the journalism program,” Leaser said.
Besides tackling his academics, Leaser took on another great endeavor: serving as editor of all three student publications, the Graphic, Impressions Yearbook and Expressionists literary magazine.
“I was editor in chief of the newspaper, magazine and yearbook, so I learned how to organize and package my thoughts,” Leaser said.
Leaser’s hard work did not go unnoticed. While still a student at Pepperdine, Leaser was awarded a Pacemaker award. This prestigious award is considered by professionals the Pulitzer Prize of college journalism.
Leaser said he credits Pepperdine for assisting him in his career with both challenging academics and interested faculty.
“I was able to excel at Pepperdine because of the personal attention I received from professors and advisers,” he said. “In the classroom, I was fortunate to take several classes with Dr. Michael Collings.
Collings, more than any other mentor, taught me how to write visually. Collings was a great inspiration because, outside of his skills as a professor, he is a prolific writer and published author.
“Most students probably don’t realize the real value of Pepperdine,” Leaser added.
After leaving Pepperdine, Leaser earned a master’s degree in communication management from the University of Southern California.
“After graduating, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, so I went straight into graduate school at USC,” he said.
After that, Leaser went on to work as a top executive at IBM.
“I have a love-hate relationship with technology,” Leaser said. “I don’t like its intrusiveness and the way everyone has constant, immediate access to you. We are rarely unplugged.
“On the other hand, for would-be entrepreneurs, technology is democratizing,” he added. “You really can control your own destiny, perhaps more than any previous generation.”
But having a job at IBM on his resume was not enough of a challenge for Leaser. He said he felt something was missing, and he needed to figure out what it was.
“I didn’t know how to turn my skills and passions into something that would pay the bills,” Leaser said. “You really need to write down a list of the things you love, and then find a way to make a living out of it.”
From this time of contemplation, Leaser said he decided to form a publishing company, Westwood Pacific. Once the idea came about, Leaser said he knew it was a great way to fulfill his passion.
Westwood Pacific’s, as well as Leaser’s, first publishing is “Palm Trees: A Story in Photographs.” Leaser said the book, which will not be officially released until March, contains more than 130 photos for those who enjoy the beauty of palm trees, photography or just love the tropics. From the images of coconut plantations in Thailand to Samoan boys returning from a harvest to vacationers relaxing on a beach filled with palm trees, the book takes the reader on a world tour with photographs.
Leaser’s life-long love of journalism and photography now blend into one unique volume.
“I’ve always been interested in books and visual communications,” he said. “I got my first camera when I was 7 years old, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Somewhere along the way, I took a diversion from my real passion and ended up in the tech world, working for IBM.
“Now, years later, I have finally figured out what I want to do with my life,” Leaser added.
02-24-2005
