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Carolyn Jabs

Position
Board 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.

Jamie Dufek

Position
2023-25
Year Joined
2017
Biography

Jamie is the Vice President of Field Operations for TIGER 21, a premier membership organization for ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI) focused on helping them navigate the challenges and opportunities created by their success. She is also the founder of CLAY by Jamie Dufek, a consulting firm that supports nonprofits with development and strategic planning. A native Minnesotan, Jamie earned a BA in Studio Art from Gustavus Adolphus and holds an MBA with a focus on nonprofit management and corporate social responsibility. She previously worked at The Hudson Institute of Coaching, where she partnered with companies to establish learning and development initiatives tied to executive coaching. Jamie has been a member of the Women's Fund since 2017 and is passionate about the nonprofit sector in Santa Barbara County, currently serving as President of the board of directors at The Arts Fund. She also serves on the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation's Outreach Committee. Jamie is a mixed media and print artist based in Santa Barbara and is passionate about community service, continuing to find ways to support nonprofits through her work and volunteerism.

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.

Katya Armistead

Committee
Year Joined
2014
Biography

Katya Armistead is a student-focused administrator with over 34 years of experience and is the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Life at UC Santa Barbara. She has been a member of the Women's Fund for over ten years and is involved with several nonprofits within Santa Barbara County, including Leading From Within as a co-facilitator of the Emerging Leaders Program and on the Board of Directors, a member of Women's Economic Venture Board of Directors, co-facilitator for Antioch University's Women in Leadership Certificate Program, and is an elected member of the Santa Barbara County School Board. Katya is a trained facilitator for the Leadership Challenge Workshop® and works with Equity Practice Group, facilitating DEI-related workshops for businesses and nonprofits. Katya has a doctorate in educational leadership from UC Santa Barbara.

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
Position
Vice Board Chair
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 WFSB Committed Group since its inception in 2017. She is currently a Group Captain Liaison and a Board Member. She moved to Santa Barbara in 2007 to join the University of California, Santa Barbara in the Department of Communication where she is currently a Distinguished Emerita Professor. At UCSB, she served as Department Chair from 2010-2013 and currently serves as a Board Member of The Club and Guest House at UCSB. She is 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.

Margie Larkin

Year Joined
2016
Biography

Margie is a veteran television journalist who worked as an anchorperson, reporter, and producer for twenty-five years. She spent most of her career in Boston, anchoring the evening news and hosting an interview program called "NewsNight" that focused on the most pressing issues of the day. Previously Margie anchored in Detroit and Austin. After leaving television she served a fellowship at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and produced a documentary about the changing political nature of cable news regarding objectivity. In 2004 Margie transitioned to working with non-profit organizations as a Communications and Marketing Director. She has worked with the Center for Creative Education and Schoolyard Films in Florida and most recently worked on special projects for the Santa Barbara Foundation. Margie was the project lead for rebuilding the Women's Fund website in 2021. She and her husband live in Santa Barbara with their red labradoodle, Finley.

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