Jonathan Vaughn (PhD, MA, MPA)—philanthropic advisor, depth psychologist, actor/writer/director, and photographer—considers himself a storyteller above all.

Jonathan earned a PhD in Depth Psychology, Jungian and Archetypal Studies, at Pacifica Graduate Institute (Santa Barbara, CA). His archetypal research focuses on stones, cairns, petroforms, and lithic sites across the globe, but especially in Woodstock, New York, and the Hudson Valley region. Broader research interests include dream analysis, active imagination, cultural complex theory, and the psychology of place, particularly in an age of climate crisis.

He is an accomplished fundraiser with over 20 years in philanthropy for higher education and the arts. He currently serves as Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations at SUNY New Paltz, on behalf of 77,000+ alumni across the globe, while simultaneously serving as Executive Director of the SUNY New Paltz Foundation, where he is responsible for the stewarding of over $80M in assets.

Additionally, he is a co-founder and partner at Lamplighter Productions, for feature film, television, and multimedia projects.

Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee—known as both Music City, USA, and the Athens of the South—and a former resident of St. Louis, Beijing, Washington, DC, New York City, and Los Angeles, Jonathan currently lives and works in New York's Hudson Valley, alongside his wife, Amanda.