The Santa Barbara Foundation Board of Trustees is a diverse group of recognized community leaders that commit their time, energy, talents and resources towards the promotion of the Foundation’s mission. Each Trustee is a community member with a strong passion for philanthropy and a unique skillset that allows them to serve our county while ensuring organizational success for the Foundation.
Matt Rowe is a Financial Advisor and Certified Investment Management Analyst, with a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from Monash University, Australia. He was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia where he practiced law for a brief period before immigrating to the United States in 2000. There, while living in New York City, Matt made the transition to a career in wealth management and later moved with his family to Santa Barbara in 2008. Matt serves on several local nonprofit boards including the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara where he currently serves as Board Chair. He was awarded the Golden Triangle of Distinguished Service Award by the Channel Islands YMCA in 2019. Matt and his wife, Natalie, have two daughters, Kelsey and Hailey. Matt is an avid runner and has completed five marathons, including three New York City Marathons, as well as two Santa Barbara Pier-to-Peak half marathons.
Dr. Iscovich received his medical degree from the University of California at San Francisco and a Bachelor of Art degree in Philosophy at the University of Puget Sound. He and his wife Lisa have resided in Santa Barbara County since 1980. Since moving to the area, Dr. Iscovich has served as Board Chair of Direct Relief, a member of the Board of Directors of Cottage Health and Catholic Healthcare West, and as President of the St. Francis Hospital Foundation of Santa Barbara. During his tenure as a local Emergency Physician, he presided as Santa Barbara County EMS Medical Director, State of California EMS Commissioner, Assistant Clinical Professor at the Keck USC School of Medicine, and the American Heart Association National Faculty. He recently retired as CEO of the Qualitas Group of Envision Healthcare. Currently, he serves as the Board Chair of Potentia Analytics, on the Board of the World Telehealth Initiative, and as Medical Director of Montecito Fire Department. He has received awards as Physician of the Year and Distinguished Alumni for Community Service. As an author and speaker, he is able spend time with groups and individuals to help solve issues and make for a better world.
Danna McGrew received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics with an emphasis in Accounting from the University of California, Santa Barbara. A native of Santa Barbara, Danna is highly involved in the local community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, the Storyteller Children’s Center Board of Directors, and the South Coast Business & Technology Awards Steering Committee, as well as their Nominating Committee. She is also a graduate of the Katherine Harvey Fellows. Danna is Certified Public Accountant with Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf, LLP and has been a partner since 2007. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the California Society of CPAs. She was named Accountant of the Year by the California Special District Association (CSDA). She was also named Who’s Who in Professional Services and one of the Top 50 Women in Business by the Pacific Coast Business Times.
Born and raised in New York, Michael “Mike” E. Pfau earned his Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Cincinnati. He furthered his higher education career by receiving his Juris Doctorate from Boston College Law School and Master of Law from Georgetown University Center. After law school, Mike worked in the Army’s Government Appellate Division in Falls Church, Virginia, as an appellate lawyer. In 1996, Pfau became the founding partner of the Santa Barbara-based law firm Reicker, Pfau, Pyle & McRoy LLP. Mike is deeply involved in community work, having served on the boards of Santa Barbara Angel Alliance, South Coast Business and Technology Awards Dinner, UCSB Economic Forecast Project, Santa Barbara Region Chamber of Commerce, Goleta Boys & Girls Club, United Boys and Girls Club, Santa Barbara Public Education Fund, Direct Relief International, among several other notable causes. Mike and his wife of 46 years, Aleisa Setzer Pfau, continue to nurture the central coast with their volunteer efforts and have instilled that in their three children and two grandchildren. When Mike isn’t volunteering, you can find him participating in road biking events in various locations in the United States and Europe or traveling with Aleisa.
Stephen M. Hicks has a Bachelor of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University and a MBA from the University of Southern California. He enjoyed a 30-year career in the computer and software industries with various responsibilities in marketing, finance, new product development and management. Beginning with IBM, he was subsequently a employee/partner in four software firms, all of which were acquired. Moving with his family to Santa Barbara from the Washington DC area in 1994, Steve became an active community volunteer, serving as board chair of CALM, the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, the Channel Islands YMCA, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics. He also served on the boards of Noah’s Anchorage and the Family Service Agency. He is an honorary trustee of the Museum of Natural History and was Man of the Year in 2007. He currently serves on the Montecito Retirement Association board and is President of the Montecito Community Foundation.
A fifth–generation Santa Maria Valley grower, George J. Adam earned a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 1983. He returned to work with his father, uncle and cousins for Adam Farms as a harvest manager. George and his spouse Debbie have since been business partners in numerous farming-related entities over the past 30 years including: La Brea Ranch, LLC: A&A Farming, Inc.; Innovative Produce; Faith Farming (labor contracting); Guadalupe Cooling; Beachside Produce (sales); and Royal Oak (H2A labor).
Mr. Adam has served as a board member of the Grower-Shipper Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties and is currently on the boards of Preservation, Inc. and Western Growers Association. Additionally, he serves on the AgWest Local Agency Committee and occasionally volunteers as a guest lecturer at Cal Poly SLO in the ag policy clss. Philanthropically, Mr. Adam was a founding board member of the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum and current serves on the Marian Regional Medical Center Foundation Board.
George and Debbie have been married for 39 years and are proud of their four children – Jeff, Philip, Nicole and Bridget – along with their seven grandchildren. He spends his free time hunting and hiking the beaches and back country of the Central Coast with family and friends.
Alexandra Allen holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Mary, Bismarck, North Dakota. After having worked for several years as a teacher, Alexandra earned a Juris Doctorate degree from UCLA School of Law, where she served as the Women’s Law Union Executive Director and was a UCLA Law Review Editor. She practiced law as an Investment Management attorney in Los Angeles and Washington DC with the international law firm, K&L Gates. Most recently, she served as in house counsel at Main Street Produce and Freshway Farms, farming businesses in Santa Maria founded by her husband and his father.
A native Californian, Alexandra has lived in Santa Maria for 14 years, where she has been extremely active with her community, serving on the Board of Directors of the Santa Maria Salvation Army, California Women for Agriculture, Orcutt Presbyterian Church Board of Deacons, Grower Shipper Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, and has served as a Santa Barbara County Human Services Commissioner. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the Western Growers Association, Solid Rock Foundation for Children, and is a member of the Santa Barbara County Agricultural Advisory Committee.
In her free time, she enjoys working in her garden, spending time with her Percheron draft horses and is an avid reader with a particular interest in American history.
Phil Alvarado was born and raised in Santa Maria. He received his Bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and his Master’s degree in Education from Pepperdine University. Phil’s 38-year career in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District began in the classroom as an instructional aide and progressed to the position of superintendent. During his tenure as superintendent, a new campus was constructed and a historic bond measure was passed to build an additional school and fund modernization at all 19 of the district’s existing schools. Phil has volunteered with several organizations, including Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley, GenSpan Foundation, and Cruzin’ for Life. He also served as a trustee of the Santa Maria Public Library, IEC Computer Connections, Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month Committee, and World To You.
Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and growing up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dr. Richard Beswick (Rich) earned a bachelor’s in biology from Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia; a master’s degree in cardiovascular physiology from Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan; a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on management from Crummer Business School in Orlando, Florida; and a PhD in Molecular Renal Physiology from The University of Michigan School of Medicine; with post-doctoral training at Case Western Research University and the Cleveland Clinic.
Dr. Beswick currently serves as the VP for Research and Chief Research Officer for Cottage Health Research Institute and is an accomplished scientist with expertise in the areas of hypertension and kidney disease in minority populations.
His career has spanned both academic and industry spheres. Notably, he has been involved with the development of multiple research institutes within the US and in Canada and previously served as the Senior Vice President and Associate Dean for Research at Baylor Scott & White Healthcare Texas A&M College of Medicine Health Sciences Center in Central Texas (TAMU). At TAMU, he was instrumental in the restructuring and development of all institutional basic and clinical science infrastructure research cores and charged with the development of CTSA translational PCIR initiatives across the seven academic campuses.
Internationally Dr. Beswick has served as a consultant for the development of The Advanced Medical Research Institute of Canada, where he was charged with the buildout of four new research core facilities encompassing translational core laboratories, a phase 1 clinic, BSL2 laboratories, animal facilities, and faculty offices. Early in his career Dr. Beswick also served as Medical Scientist Liaison and Global Medical Director for Johnson and Johnson OrthoBiotech and Roche Pharmaceutical, and is responsible for multiple new nephrology and oncology drug approvals and indications globally.
Dr. Beswick has sat on and continues to be involved with multiple national and regional county boards. These include the White House initiative to increase minority involvement in clinical trials, the National Alliance to Improve Aging, Central Coast Alzheimer’s Association, REACH Central Coast Resiliency Roadmap Steering Committee, Sustainable Change Alliance of Santa Barbara, Freedom for Youth, and the Central Coast Black Leaders Roundtable where he currently serves as President.
Dr. Beswick moved to the central coast with his wife Grace in 2016. In his spare time, he loves to fish around the Channel Islands, work in his yard and work on wood projects around the house.
Pamela Gann has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Juris Doctor degree from Duke University, and a Doctor of Laws degree from Claremont McKenna College. She is Trustee Professor of Legal Studies Emerita and President Emerita of Claremont McKenna College. From 1999 to 2013, Pamela led Claremont McKenna in expanding its financial resources with a $600 million campaign. These resources enabled an extensive hiring of faculty teacher-scholars, an expansion of buildings and other capital improvements of the residential campus, the establishment of three new research institutes, and the funding of need-blind financial aid scholarships, enabling students to attend regardless of their family’s ability to pay. She currently serves on the boards of directors for Direct Relief (where she is vice-chair), the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, and International Education of Students Abroad. Prior to joining Claremont McKenna, Pamela served as the dean of Duke University School of Law from 1988 to 1999.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Rafael moved to California with his family in the late 80s and attended UCSB and the University of Arizona. After law school, Rafael joined the law firm of Mullen & Henzell LLP in Santa Barbara.
As a Partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment group, his practice is focused on representing companies in employment and complex litigation matters. He also serves as legal counsel for the Grower Shipper Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties representing growers and shippers throughout California.
Rafael has served as a Board Member of the Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara, Channel Islands/Ventura YMCA, and the Santa Barbara Human Resources Association. In his off time, Rafael enjoys spending time with his wife Julie, and three daughters. He loves to fish, surf, and ocean swim.
Kiah Jordan launched Impact Family Office in order to focus on the alignment of capital resources with an impact strategy. Kiah works alongside his clients to support their values and goals with the sources and uses of their wealth. He implements long-term perspectives on the impact of, not only his clients’ balance sheet, but also their succession plans, wealth transfer plans, and philanthropic engagement.
Prior to starting Impact Family Office, Kiah worked for Santa Barbara Capital, a real estate investment firm, and it was during this time that Kiah completed his Certified Financial Planner™ designation and found a passion for applying a holistic planning perspective to personal finances and business operations. Additionally, Kiah is a National Certified Guardian by the Center for Guardianship Certification and a licensed Professional Fiduciary by the California Professional Fiduciaries Bureau.
Kiah graduated from Westmont College with degrees in economics and business, and also Spanish. He completed his master’s degree in social entrepreneurship at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.
An advocate for socially conscious ventures and entrepreneurship, Kiah has dedicated much of his time to start-ups and organizations benefiting the Central Coast community. He is an alumnus of the Katherine Harvey Fellows program and on the board of Leading from Within. He is a founding board member of the Sustainable Change Alliance, serves as the Chairperson of the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, and sits on the finance committees for the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation and the Community Environmental Council. Additionally, he was featured in the 2015 Pacific Coast Business Times 40 Under 40, and has served as an adjunct professor in Westmont College’s program for social entrepreneurship.
Outside of the office, Kiah enjoys outdoor adventures with his wife and four children and plays soccer in a local recreation league.
Pamela Macal grew up in Santa Maria before attending Pomona College in Claremont, California, where she completed her Bachelor of Arts Degree in both Economics and Public Policy. Pamela went on to receive her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Subsequently, she decided to return home to Santa Maria, where she has run her third-generation family business with her husband Dan for the past decade. Pamela’s law career has focused on labor and employment law, as well as support for nonprofits. Most notably, she has supported Girl Scouts USA in their restructuring and development of their employee benefits program. She and her husband are very active community members, supporting Marian Regional Medical Hospital and Ronald McDonald House Charities in the Bay Area. A mother of two children, Pamela spends her free time hiking, fly fishing, and reading.
Lois Mitchell was a philanthropic consultant from 2016 to 2021, during which time she guided 18 foundation clients to manage their ongoing governance, build grant processes, cultivate partner opportunities, and balance board dynamics.
As President of the Orfalea Foundations (Kinko’s family) from 2000 to 2015, Ms. Mitchell led a 22-member team through innovative collaborations, creative campaigns, and an intentional fiscal and organizational spend-down. She oversaw strategic community-wide initiatives focused on systemic change in disaster readiness, school food, preschool quality, college access and youth development throughout Santa Barbara County.
Lois has facilitated sector forums, board sessions, focused retreats and coordinated many events featuring significant public figures. In honor of a $10 million endowment to start UCSB’s Center of Global & International Studies, Lois produced Leadership for the Global Future with 2000 attendees and former President Clinton. She has served on nonprofit coalitions, funder roundtables, hiring committees, conference panels, trustee boards, and advisory councils such as Speaker & Co-Chair of the National Center Family Philanthropy Strategic Lifespan Peer Network (2018-2020).
Prior to 2000 Lois worked 18 years in international licensing, product line development, publishing and marketing. Having volunteered with more than 65 charities, Lois is now enthusiastically retired.
She and her husband Mark have “launched” two daughters, have resided in Santa Barbara for more than 40 years, and live part-time in Palm Springs.
Robert C. Nakasone has a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Claremont McKenna College and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He is the former CEO of Toys “R” Us, Inc. where he led the global growth of the world’s largest children’s specialty retailer serving as President, U.S. Toy Stores; Vice-Chairman, Worldwide Toy Stores; President & COO; and CEO. Bob became the first Asian American (non-founder) to be appointed CEO of a Fortune 100 service corporation in 1998. On the non-profit side, he currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Claremont McKenna College and Board of Directors of the “V” Foundation for Cancer Research. Previously, Bob served on the boards of Direct Relief and Cottage Health as well as the honorary board of the Japanese American National Museum. Additionally, he has been the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor; the Asian American Heritage Presidential Award (President George H.W. Bush) for Excellence in Business; and the American Baseball Coaches Association Achievement Award. He currently resides in Santa Barbara with his wife Lynn and they have four married children and nine grandchildren.
Ernesto Paredes majored in Gerontology at the University of Southern California, where he discovered his love for working with and serving those experiencing the aging process. He is a Santa Barbara County native and has served as the Executive Director of Easy Lift Transportation for 25 years. Ernesto has also served on numerous nonprofit boards and committees, including Hospice of Santa Barbara, Family Service Agency, Special Olympics of Santa Barbara and Hillside House. Currently, he serves on the Cottage Heath Board of Directors and holds volunteer roles with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Leadership Council, Future Leaders of America, Executive Director Roundtable, and the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute. Ernesto has been personally recognized on the local, state and national levels. Such recognitions include: The Independent’s “Local Hero,” Court TV’s “Everyday Hero,” San Marcos Royal Pride Foundation’s Community Leader Award, “Distinguished Leader” by Leadership Santa Barbara County, and 2017 Man of the Year. Ernesto is also an avid triathlete, currently training for his ninth Ironman triathlon.
Susan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics, a Master’s degree in Business Administration, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. As a member of the Board of Directors of The Community Foundation serving Boulder County, Colorado, she was instrumental in the growth of the foundation from its inception, serving in several key positions including board chair. After relocating to Santa Barbara with her husband Tom, Susan immediately became active with the Santa Barbara Foundation. She previously enjoyed careers as an investment executive and as an attorney, practicing in the areas of estate planning, real estate, and business law.
Lynn Scarlett retired in December 2021 from The Nature Conservancy, the largest conservation organization in the world, where she served as Global Chief External Affairs Officer. In this role, she influenced climate and conservation policy in the United States and the more than 70 countries and territories in which TNC operates, and advanced private-sector partnerships to support sustainability and enhance ambitious actions to address climate change. Prior to her role at the Conservancy, Lynn served at the U.S. Department of the Interior, which manages 500 million acres of US public lands, from 2001-2009. She served as Deputy Secretary/Chief Operating Officer of Interior from 2005 – 2009 and in 2006, she served as Acting Secretary of the Interior.
Lynn received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science and political economy from UC Santa Barbara, where she also completed her Ph.D. coursework and exams. She serves on the advisory board of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the Dean’s Advisory Council of the UC Santa Barbara Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. She currently serves on the boards of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, National Wildlife Refuge Association, Sand County Foundation, and Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative.
Lynn lives in Santa Barbara and is an avid birdwatcher.
A lifelong Santa Marian, Alexander “Alex” F. Simas received his undergraduate degree and Juris Doctorate degree with honors from Santa Clara University. Alex joined Dan Kirk’s law practice after graduating and formed Kirk & Simas, of which he has worked in various leadership roles since 1970. Alex’s work for the northern region of Santa Barbara County is extensive and includes serving as City Attorney for the City of Guadalupe, counsel for the Oceano Community Services District, and periodically as special counsel to the Santa Maria Cemetery District and the Allan Hancock Joint Community College District. Alex has served on the Board of Directors for Heritage Oaks Bank, Boys and Girls Club of Santa Maria Valley, Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce\Visitors and Convention Bureau, Santa Maria Valley Economic Development Association, Visiting Nurse Service, Allan Hancock College Foundation, Marian Regional Medical Center Foundation, St. Joseph’s High School Advisory Board, and is currently on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid-Central Coast Foundation Board. Alex’s wife, Kathy, worked at the Santa Barbara Foundation for 20 years before retiring at the end of 2020.
Tracy Stouffer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cornell University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Western Ontario. She moved with her family to Santa Barbara from Denver in 2009 to manage Nuveen Asset Management’s International Growth Strategy portfolios. Tracy began working in the financial industry in 1981 and recently retired. Previously, she was an international portfolio manager for several firms, including Dreyfus Founders Funds, Federated Global Investment Management, Clariden Bank (Credit Suisse), and TIAA-CREF. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Institute. She is currently a member of the board of Habitat for Humanity, serving on the Finance and Family Services committees, is a member of the Research Committee of the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara, and a sustainer on the Women’s Board of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Zohar Ziv was born and raised in Israel, where he lived until he was 22 years old. He spent two years living and working in Asia where he met his wife, Danna, and followed her to the United States. There he received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from California State University Northridge and his Master of Business Administration in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird). Zohar is an active director, advisor, and investor with over 30 years of executive management experience across a diverse set of business environments. He has worked as the Chief Operating Officer of Deckers Outdoor Corporation, Chief Financial Officer for various diversified companies, Treasurer of an international fluid transfer equipment company. Additionally, he has co-founded and assisted several business ventures and endeavors that include Dash Brands, Shoes for Crews, Swiftarc Ventures Fund, and Alante Capital. Zohar serves on the Foundation Board of California State University Channel Islands and the Finance Committee of Santa Barbara City College, he also is a partner with the Santa Barbara Social Venture Partners. Formerly, he served on the Boards of the Outdoor Industry Association and the Malibu High School Governance Council. He currently resides in Santa Barbara with his wife, Danna, and two married children and four grandchildren who also live in the area.
Santa Barbara Foundation LOGO