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Carolyn Jabs

Position
Board Vice Chair
Year Joined
2013
Biography

Carolyn has been a member of the Women’s Fund since 2013 and joined the Research Committee in 2016. She has worked as an editor and writer, with an emphasis on family issues. Her articles and essays have appeared in publications ranging from Self and Working Mother to Newsweek and the New York Times. She writes the award-winning column Growing Up Online and recently published a book entitled Cooperative Wisdom: Bringing People Together When Things Fall Apart. Carolyn received her BA from Wittenberg University and her M.A. from the Applied Ethics Program at Bowling Green State University. She and her husband raised their three children in Ohio where she served as president of the local school foundation and started a support group for families with children who are deaf. In Santa Barbara, she is the Chair of the local chapter of the Association for Women in Communications and practices Tai Chi whenever she can.

Denise Hinkle

Year Joined
2009
Biography

Denise has been a member of the Women’s Fund since 2009. Her career as a development professional spanned more than three decades and a variety of causes, from public television and education to family planning and the environment. A resident of the Santa Barbara area since 1986, she has served as Vice President for Development for Planned Parenthood, Channel Islands YMCA, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and more recently as Development and Communications Director for Storyteller Children’s Center and Family Service Agency. She has been a member of the Women’s Fund Membership Committee and currently serves as Grantee Liaison and member of the Communications Committee. Denise holds a MBA from Northern Michigan University and bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing from Western Michigan University. She lives with her husband in Mission Canyon.

Jamie Dufek

Position
Board Chair
2023-25
Year Joined
2017
Biography

Jamie has been a member of the Women's Fund since 2017. A native Minnesotan, she earned a BA in Studio Art from Gustavus Adolphus and holds a MBA with a specific focus in nonprofit management and corporate social responsibility. Jamie previously worked at The Hudson Institute of Coaching, where she partnered with companies to establish learning and development initiatives tied to executive coaching. She currently is the Director of Field Operations at TIGER 21, the premier peer membership organization for high-net-worth wealth creators and preservers that helps them to navigate the challenges and opportunities that success creates. She continues to cultivate her passion for service and community, serving as President of the board of directors at The Arts Fund, board member of A Different Point of View, and owns her own business that supports nonprofits in development and strategic planning. Jamie is also a mixed media and print artist in Santa Barbara and volunteers teaching art classes on the WestSide with students K-12. She's honored to be part of such a strong group of women and chair the Communications Committee for the Women's Fund.

Kathy Dunlap

Committee
Position
CFO & Treasurer
2022-23
Year Joined
2015
Biography

Kathy has been a member of the Women’s Fund since 2015, joining the Finance Committee in 2019. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Montclair State University and a master’s degree from Stanford. Kathy began her career as a CPA with Ernst & Young, specializing in corporate tax and financial accounting for income taxes. She became a partner in the San Jose office in 1989. She has also managed her own corporate financial and tax consulting practice. Kathy has been active in volunteer work for over 20 years; she has served on the boards of the Catholic Foundation of Santa Clara County, Summit League, San Jose Repertory Theatre and Archbishop Mitty High School. She and her husband split their time between Santa Barbara and Rancho Santa Fe.

Kathy Hollis

Committee
Year Joined
2018
Biography

Kathy has been a member of the Women's Fund since 2018. She is Chair of the Volunteer Engagement Committee and a member of the Events Committee and the Operations Management Team. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education, M.S. in Elementary Education, and an M.A. in Educational Leadership. She has taught elementary through high school, and has served as a District Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, California State Board of Education Academic Trustee, and Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services for the Santa Barbara County Education Office. She retired in 2019 after a rewarding 35-year career in public education. She and her husband, Whitt, have lived in Santa Barbara since 2009 and have two amazing children, Meghan (Washington DC) and Trey (NYC). She is thoroughly enjoying travel, hobbies, fitness, play and volunteering with the Women’s Fund in retirement.

Kerry Parker

Committee
Year Joined
2019
Biography

Kerry joined the Women’s Fund in 2019 after retiring as owner and principal of HollandParlette, an Association Management Company (AMC) based in San Francisco. Since her relocation to Santa Barbara, she has been actively involved in supporting local nonprofits. Throughout her 30+ year career, she served as Executive Director for various regional, state, and national membership organizations. Her expertise includes financial management, board leadership, conferences, grant writing, membership development, communications, advocacy, and public relations. In 1991, she became a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and in 2005, she was awarded a Lifetime Membership in the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). Kerry holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Iowa and a master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Iowa State University. She has been married for over 40 years to James Parker, and together they have one son who lives in Seattle.

Lauren Trujillo

Committee
Year Joined
2019
Biography

Lauren Trujillo first came to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB where she received a B.A. in History. She is a UCLA MLIS graduate and is the Foundation Director of the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation. Lauren is also a member of the Junior League, Santa Barbara Northside Optimist Club, Santa Barbara Young Professionals, and sits on the board of the Women’s Literary Festival of Santa Barbara. She is thrilled to join the membership team and give back to our community as a member of the Women’s Fund.

Laurie Tumbler

Committee
Year Joined
2008
Biography

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.

Linda Putnam

Committee
Year Joined
2017
Biography

Linda has served as co-chair of the WF Committed Group since its inception in 2017. She moved to Santa Barbara in 2007 to join the University of California, Santa Barbara, as a professor in the Department of Communication where she is currently a Distinguished Emerita Professor. At UCSB, she served as Department Chair from 2010-2013. At Texas A&M where she worked prior to coming Santa Barbara, she served as Department Head, chaired the Women’s Faculty Network, and directed the Program on Negotiation and Conflict Management. She is also a past president of three professional associations—the International Communication Association, the International Association for Conflict Management, and the Council on Communication Associations. She holds a MA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, and two honorary doctorates—University of Montreal in Canada and Aalto University in Finland.

Lynn Karlson

Year Joined
2018
Biography

Lynn rejoined the Women’s Fund in 2018, participating with both the Membership Committee and a Special Projects workgroup. She grew up in Colorado and has a Master’s Degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Colorado State University. Before moving to Santa Barbara in 1989, she worked in both the Research and Public Affairs Departments of the Kansas City Federal Reserve. She has served in various nonprofit leadership roles in Santa Barbara, including as Board Chair for the Channel Islands YMCA, the Nonprofit Support Center, and The Arts Fund. She was the Vice President for Family Education Services at Independent Means Inc. before taking on the role of Executive Director for the Youth and Family Services YMCA from 2008-2016.

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