LSBC Board of Trustees & Advisory Council

Our Board of Trustees are LSBC alumni who contribute their time, energy, and efforts to maintaining the quality of Leadership Santa Barbara County. The Advisory Council was formed in early 2010 to celebrate the 20 Year history of LSBC. The council is comprised of former graduates, sponsors and board members that played an integral role in keeping LSBC at the forefront of Santa Barbara professional development and relationship/networking opportunities for the past 20 years.

Brian Schwabecher, President

Brian has served on numerous boards and community action committees throughout Santa Barbara over the last 8 years having logged over 150 community service hours over the last two years for countless Santa Barbara organizations. Committed to diabetes research, music education and preschool education, Brian's passion is in protecting and assisting those who haven't been afforded the opportunities shared by many in the Santa Barbara area. Brian is the Santa Barbara Regional Manager of the Commercial Banking Group at Santa Barbara Bank & Trust where he has been employed since 2003. He is a graduate of the Leadership of Santa Barbara County Class of 2006 and a graduate of the University of California Santa Barbara.

Victor Garza, Vice President

Victor Garza is a 2004 graduate of Leadership Santa Barbara County. He graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in Spanish.  Initially planning to be a teacher after graduating, Victor entered the world of Engineering and Public Works in 1977.  He has worked in various capacities with several public agencies before moving back to the area in 1989.  Victor currently works for the City of Santa Barbara managing the Operations and Maintenance of the Downtown Parking Program, with an emphasis on excellent customer service.  Victor joined the Leadership Board in 2009 in order to be a part of a program that offers people a way to become more connected and engaged and aware of the issues that face our community.

When not working his day job, Victor enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, biking, playing music and providing sound systems and audio engineering for special events.  Victor is excited to be on the LSBC Board and believes that the Leadership experience begins after graduation, when all of the learned skills and experiences can be brought into play to help make a difference at home, on the job and in the community.

 Michael Osborn, Vice President

As part of the Leadership Santa Barbara County Class of 2009, Michael was the project manager of the inaugural Class Community Service project that assisted Isla Vista Youth Projects in their development of an outdoor classroom environment. He was thrilled at the successful efforts of the class and the synergistic chain of events for IVYP that began with the involvement of LSBC. Michael - honored to be voted the class valedictorian - feels that LSBC came along at the perfect time in his life. He believes in the effectiveness of the program and hopes to strengthen it as a board member. Michael graduated from Cal Poly SLO in 2000 before moving to Santa Barbara and is a Registered Civil Engineer with the local firm of Penfield & Smith. Outside of the office, you can find Michael hiking in the mountains, playing music, volunteering with various organizations, biking around the county and walking the streets with his dog.

Valerie Tyler, Treasurer

Valerie Tyler joined the Leadership board in 2006 after graduating from the program in 2005. In the several years that Valerie has been in Santa Barbara, numerous organizations have benefited from her leadership skills and dedication to helping the community. Some of those include Habitat for Humanity, the Junior League of Santa Barbara, United Way, as well as Leadership Santa Barbara. Her work as a major gift f fundraiser also impacted Santa Barbara's health and human services sector. Now Valerie is working for Special Technologies Laboratory in Goleta. After completing her B.A. in Political Science at the University of Arizona, the move to California brought Valerie closer to her family. In her free time Valerie enjoys taking advantage of the natural beauty of Santa Barbara by hiking and playing beach volleyball.

Monica Ballon

Monica is a 2009 graduate of Leadership Santa Barbara County. She graduated from UC Riverside with a double major in Environmental Science and Anthropology and moved to Santa Barbara in 2002. She has worked in environmental education for several non-profits and is currently the Teen Programs Manager at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Her passion is youth development and serving the youth population of Santa Barbara.

When not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, hiking, playing volleyball and traveling. Monica is excited to welcome in new LSBC classes and help them make a difference in the community!

Valerie Ellis

Valerie Ellis has rejoined the LSBC Board as Alumni Relations Chairperson. She is a 1994 graduate of LSBC and past president of the Board. Ms. Ellis is a strategic planning consultant to businesses and nonprofits and teaches entrepreneurship classes at SBCC and Women's Economic Ventures.

Amanda Kastelic

Amanda joined the LSBC Board of Directors after graduating in 2011.  She is thrilled to give back to an organization that has empowered her with skills that have helped her grow both personally and professionally.  Amanda's passion for philanthropy began in her teens when she traveled to Puerto Rico as a hurricane relief volunteer.  She has since served as a volunteer outside of our community in Samoa, the Hopi Nation and New Orleans.  Active in the local community, she works in nonprofit development and volunteers as member of the Junior League of Santa Barbara.  Amanda holds a B.A. in Economics, a B.A. in Religious Studies and a Certificate in Marketing from the University of California, Santa Barbara.  She is currently working toward an MBA at Pepperdine's Graziadio School of Business.

 Lesley Torgeson

Lesley is a graduate of the Leadership Santa Barbara County Class of 2009 and joined the Board in 2010.  A 4th generation native of Santa Barbara, she is thrilled to be part of an organization that focuses on the development of individuals for the betterment of this community.  She is an active volunteer at the Transition House and a current board member with Hearts Adaptive Riding Center.  Lesley majored in Geological Sciences at UCSB where she could nourish her passions for the great outdoors and natural sciences at the same time. Lesley has been instrumental in the start-up of several successful information technology firms in the Santa Barbara area.  Her knowledge and aptitude with computing technologies lead to her current position at the City of Santa Barbara where she helps oversee the computer network operations for the entire organization.  In her free time, Lesley rides motorcycles with her husband and spends as much time outside as she can.

Dru van Hengel, Immediate Past-President

Drusilla van Hengel graduated from Leadership Santa Barbara County in 2000, and served on the Board from 2002-2009. She earned her BA in Biology and Psychology from Dartmouth College, her MA and Ph.D. in Social Ecology from UC Irvine, and her MBA in Sustainable Business from Bainbridge Graduate Institute. LSBC participation provided her with skills that transferred directly to her work as the Transportation Operations Supervisor for the City of Santa Barbara and to her work as an adjunct lecturer of Urban and Regional Planning at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. A 1996 Olympian, Dru enjoys spending time in the local mountains and on the ocean. She is a nationally certified Safe Routes to School and Bicycle Safety Instructor. Dru is also the Past President of City Orators Toastmasters, and a Board Advisor for the Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition.

LSBC ADVISORY COUNCIL: