Barbara relocated to Santa Barbara from Florida with her husband in 2019 after practicing trial and appellate law in Fort Lauderdale for over 40 years. Born and raised in New Jersey, she received her B.S. in business administration from Bucknell University and her J.D. degree, summa cum laude, from Nova Southeastern University. In Florida she was a member of the board of directors of Florida Workers’ Advocates, an organization of attorneys dedicated to protecting the rights of injured workers through advocacy in the courts and legislature. She also volunteered and served on the board at Pace Center for Girls, a non-profit day program providing education, counseling, training, and advocacy for the unique needs of at-risk middle school and high school aged girls. Barbara has volunteered as a reading tutor and mentor for many years. In Santa Barbara she has participated in the United Way Kindergarten Success Institute and the Santa Barbara Public Library OG Readers tutoring program. She joined the Women’s Fund in 2023 and became a member of the Research Committee in 2024.

Gail and her husband returned to Santa Barbara after spending 36 years in Denver, where they raised their three children. She graduated from UCSB with a BA in economics, then later earned an MBA with an emphasis on research from UT Dallas.  After working in finance for several years, Gail decided to pursue her first career choice, teaching, and finished a master’s in curriculum and instruction from CU Denver.  She taught high school English for 15 years and never stopped emphasizing the importance of credible sources. In Santa Barbara, Gail has volunteered as an adult literacy tutor and ESL conversation partner and worked as a UCSB freshman application reader. She remains a perennial learner exploring at least half of the offerings in SBCC’s School of Extended Learning.

Georgene has been a member of the Women’s Fund since 2022. She has been working as a registered nurse in the area of public health for over 40 years and has spent her career developing and implementing efforts to increase access to health care and engaging key stakeholders and funders in supporting programs. Before coming to Santa Barbara County in 1990, she spent 8 years working with international organizations and public health programs in Egypt, Sudan, Lebanon, Greece, and Spain. She has served as a board member of several local and statewide nonprofits. She retired in 2018 and again in 2022. She enjoys travel, hiking, golf, tennis, and volunteering.

A new member of the Women’s Fund since 2022, Janessa has a Masters of Science from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Berkeley. Her background is in nonprofit work including in the microlending space at Kiva Microfunds and at The Foodbank of Santa Barbara. She currently serves on the board of directors of Veggie Rescue, a nonprofit that distributes excess local produce countywide to nonprofits working with vulnerable populations. She is thrilled to be joining the Women's Fund in their important work.

Kate is a former general manager for the Cachuma Operation and Maintenance Board, which manages the water rights and water supply delivery from Lake Cachuma to the water agencies on the south coast of Santa Barbara. She also developed a steelhead restoration program on the lower Santa Ynez River. Kate retired in 2014 and has been active as a singer and served on the board of directors and several committees for the Santa Barbara Choral Society.

Laurie has been a member of the Women's Fund since 2008. She has previously served as Research Committee Co-Chair, Grantee Liaison, and Steering Committee chair. From 2018 to 2020, she was Board Chair of the newly incorporated Women’s Fund. Currently, she chairs the Information Technology committee and continues to serve on the Board of Directors. After earning a B.A. from University of Illinois, Laurie pursued a career in financial services and in 1982 she founded her own financial research company. She was a member of several nonprofit boards across the country focused on the welfare of families and children. Since moving to Santa Barbara in 2000, she has chaired the Newcomers Club community service committee, led the United Way's "Lunch Bunch" program, and served as a board member and interim Executive Director of the Nonprofit Support Center. She has also served on the Ensemble Theatre, Social Venture Partners and Transition House boards.

Patricia moved to Santa Barbara after graduating from Cornell University with a BA in art history and a BFA in painting. She worked as a self-employed flooring contractor here for 26 years. After selling her business in 2001, she started a new and rewarding career as an English as a second language (ESL) instructor for SBCC Adult Education. She retired from teaching recently and continues to manage local rental property on a part-time basis. She served on the board of Santa Barbara Middle School for 5 years and has volunteered for The Foodbank for 2 years. She enjoys her four children, their spouses, and one grandchild all living close by. She and her retired husband, Mike, love to travel the world.