16th Annual Premier Santa Barbara Women’s Event to Honor Four Leaders in Education

AWC-SB presents the 2024 Women of Achievement Awards

Santa Barbara (AWC-SB) will honor four outstanding leaders in education at the 2024 Women of Achievement Awards luncheon: Katya Armistead, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Dean of Student Life at UCSB; Yolanda Medina-Garcia, retired Director of Starr King Parent-Child Workshop and SBCC educator; Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools; and Wendy Sims-Moten, Executive Director of First 5 Santa Barbara County.

The honorees embody this year’s theme, “Lessons in Leadership: Connecting & Communicating as Education Evolves.”

The luncheon will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 1 at Cabrillo Pavilion. Catherine Remak will emcee the event, bringing her thirty years of broadcast experience that includes recording thousands of commercials and hosting radio shows at KLITE 101.7 and KDB 93.7. Catherine was also an honoree at the Women of Achievement event in 2009, which makes having her talents at the mic this year even more special.

This year’s honorees are powerful women who demonstrate that effective leadership and change in education comes from dedication, dynamic engagement, and nonstop communication. As individuals and collectively, they capture the essence of leadership recognized by the Women of Achievement event. For more information about the event and the honorees, visit AWC-SB Women of Achievement.

“It is a privilege to be recognized by AWC-SB and honored with a remarkable group of women educators who serve as strong leaders and communicators in our field,” said Dr. Susan Salcido. “Communications and education truly go hand-in-hand. From navigating crisis communications in times of urgency to disseminating vital information to students, families, and our school community, effective communication forms the backbone of educational success. The vitality of our schools depends on communication that is not only timely, but engaging, accurate, and meaningful.”

The annual Women of Achievement Awards recognizes exemplary women communicators, providing inspiring role models for women pursuing careers in journalism, public speaking, writing, public relations, filmmaking, photography, and related disciplines.

Past honorees include Hillary Hauser, Executive Director of Heal the Ocean and author; Dr. Leah Stokes, Associate Professor of environmental politics at UCSB; Luz Reyes-Martin, former SBCC Public Affairs Director and Goleta Union School Board Member; Sigrid Wright, Executive Director of the Community Environmental Council; Beth Farnsworth, KEYT Journalist and Anchor; Hannah-Beth Jackson, retired State Senator; Lois Capps, Congresswoman; Helene Schneider, former mayor of Santa Barbara;  Marianne Partridge, Santa Barbara Independent Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder; Dr. Carrie Hutchinson, Paula Lopez, Lynda Weinman, Catherine Remak, and Sara Miller McCune.

Tickets to the luncheon are available at AWC-SB Women of Achievement. Tickets cost $90 for members, $100 for non-members. After March 29, prices will be $100 for members and $115 for non-members. Funds raised support ongoing professional development opportunities offered by AWC-SB throughout the year.

The 2024 Women of Achievement Luncheon is also supported by the Santa Barbara Independent and the Natalie Orfalea Foundation.

Limited additional sponsorship opportunities are available until March 20 — please email news@awcsb.org for more information.

ATTACHED: 2024 AWC-SB Women of Achievement honoree headshots and bios

ABOUT AWC-SB 

The Association for Women in Communications – Santa Barbara (AWC-SB) empowers women to develop and deepen the communication skills they need to succeed in a variety of fields. Members enjoy educational and networking opportunities to elevate their careers, enhance personal growth, and become agents of change. Now an independent organization, AWC-SB served for many years as the award-winning local chapter of the national Association for Women in Communications.

AWC-SB members include journalists and broadcasters, entrepreneurs, designers and marketers, authors, corporate communicators, photographers, coaches, and public relations experts. AWC-SB offers opportunities to network with colleagues, hosts monthly meetings (free for members) featuring experts on current topics, and presents the annual Women of Achievement Awards event. Visit awcsb.org to learn more about the organization, its all-volunteer board, and upcoming events.

AWC-SB was founded in 2006 by communications consultant Lois Phillips, publisher Mindy Bingham, and producer Deborah Hutchison. They saw the need for a dynamic, local organization that cut across sectors to bring together professional communicators, solopreneurs, scholars, and corporate communicators as well as communications majors at local colleges and universities.

AWC-SB is governed by an all-volunteer board. The 2024 Board of Directors is led by President Hilary Lyn and board members: Leslie Dinaberg, Claudia Dunn, Jerrol Golden, Brooke Holland, Carolyn Jabs, Lauren Bianchi Klemann, Monica Kunz, Jennifer LeMay, Kim Ofilas, Lisa Osborn, Ana Papakhian, Judith Smith-Meyer, Joan Tapper, and Maisee Thao.