Luz Reyes-Martín comes from a family with a tradition of public service. Her father was a mail carrier for over 25 years, and her mother worked for the City of Los Angeles for more than two decades. Growing up, she developed a strong sense of community and commitment to public service that continues to influence her work as an elected official on the Goleta City Council. It was in high school, though, when Reyes-Martín’s career goal in public government solidified. She credits a high school teacher who assigned the class to go to a city council meeting. At that meeting, [...more...]

Under the leadership of David Bolton for the last 12 years, the California Missions Foundation has raised millions of dollars to preserve the state’s collection of historic Spanish missions and made their priceless collection of colonial and native art and artifacts an education destination for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year including tens of thousands of elementary school students. Beginning in the mid-1700s, the Spanish built 21 missions from San Diego to Sonoma that today provide a unique trail of history across California or what was then called Alta California. Bolton, who grew up in Santa Barbara – which [...more...]

Susan F. Petrovich, an expert in environmental law, land use, and real estate at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in Santa Barbara, has dedicated nearly five decades to the dual mission of preserving the environment’s beauty and resources while safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers and ranchers.  Petrovich’s love for the land and commitment to those who work it were ingrained during her childhood. As a “free range” child, she explored the wonders of nature, galloped on horseback, and swam in the creek waters. With a deep affection for animals and an interest in biology, Petrovich would have pursued a career as [...more...]

Philanthropists are frequently viewed as privileged individuals who donate large sums of money to charity. However, the reality is more complex – particularly when the giver is a woman. It goes without saying that women are often overlooked as leaders. The societal pressures facing women are formidable, especially the expectations placed upon philanthropic women that many men in similar positions don’t face. Gabriella Taylor knows something about these pressures. Having experienced a traumatic early life, Taylor set out on a global adventure, guided at first by her own healing. This journey led her into the fields of Psychology, Spirituality, and [...more...]

In Santa Barbara, the Reverend Dr. David Moore, Jr. is a well-known figure at the crossroads of faith, advocacy, media, and community service. He stands out as one of the few Black leaders in a county that has witnessed a significant exodus of its Black population to more affordable cities. With a doctorate in theology from the University of South Africa, Moore plays a pivotal role in the community, serving as pastor for Santa Barbara’s Beloved Community Church and Jesus Collective. Additionally, he holds the position of vice president at the Santa Barbara affiliate of the NAACP, while also contributing [...more...]

If you’re wondering where to have Forbes-rated authentic Mexican food or where the holiday lights on Milpas and its roundabout come from, you can look no further than the heart and soul of Santos Guzman, owner of Taqueria El Bajio at 129 North Milpas Street. Guzman was born in Guanajuato, México, the location of his restaurant’s recipes for dorados, menudo, caldo de pollo, caldo de res, gorditas, chile rellenos, and beef tacos. It is also the home of his faith and cultural traditions. Starting up Taqueria El Bajio in 1996, little did he realize that the restaurant would become such [...more...]

Once upon a time, an attorney from the Windy City (Chicago, for the uninitiated) decided to move on from the slings, arrows, and less definable rigors of the storied private equity firm in whose glass tower he’d long toiled. That is, he retired. Seeking greener pastures, sandy beaches, and maybe a low-slung, non-intimidating mountain range, Christian McGrath chose Santa Barbara as his new headquarters. Long an advocate and engaged participant in the not-for-profit world of Chicago, he knew he would likewise seek out and immerse himself in that community in Santa Barbara. But where to start? To his mild surprise, [...more...]

Tammy Johnson, Santa Barbara Foundation’s Vice President of Philanthropic Services since April of 2022, didn’t set out to work in philanthropy. The daughter of a 35-year Southern California Gas Company employee, Johnson grew up in La Puente in the San Gabriel Valley, attending the public school system through high school. It was there that a guidance counselor pointed her toward what she thought might be her career. “He encouraged me to think about journalism because I was a school leader always doing the announcements over the PA, and I was a pretty strong writer,” Johnson recalls. “But I was still [...more...]

For Yvette Birch Giller, president and COO of Santa Barbara’s Mosher Foundation, philanthropy is a family affair. Working alongside both her father, Ed Birch, the Foundation’s chair and CEO, and her mother, Suzanne Birch, a trustee and education program specialist, Giller, after 13 years at Mosher, is preparing to take the reins from the man she calls her mentor, her role model, and her biggest cheerleader. Today, Giller finds herself at the nexus of the gradual sunsetting of Santa Barbara’s legendary philanthropic foundation trailblazers, and the dawn of a new generation of foundation leaders. And Giller has the benefit of [...more...]