Santa Barbara City College Hosts Blue Economy Symposium to Foster Sustainable Ocean Careers and Santa Barbara Ocean Collective

Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is proud to announce the inaugural Blue Economy Symposium, an event dedicated to exploring and expanding sustainable ocean and coastal career opportunities within the Santa Barbara Channel. The symposium will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 4 -7 p.m., at the SBCC East Cliff Campus Campus Center.

The event — the first of its kind in Santa Barbara — is designed to foster greater awareness and engagement with the Blue Economy, a vital sector that encompasses sustainable fishing, aquaculture, coastal conservation, renewable ocean energy and blue tech. The symposium will also mark the launch of the Santa Barbara Ocean Collective, a unique partnership between SBCC, the Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara (CFSB), SBCC Foundation, the City of Santa Barbara and the Economic Development Collaborative. This collaboration aims to build robust ocean career pathways and support the necessary infrastructure for sustainable ocean industries on the SBCC campus.

Event Highlights Include:

Welcome Address (4-4:15 p.m.): Attendees will be welcomed at 4 p.m. by SBCC Superintendent/President Erika Endrijonas, Ph.D., and SBCC representatives, setting the stage for an inspiring and informative evening..

Featured Speakers (4:15 – 5 p.m.): Renowned thought leaders in the Blue Economy will share their insights on the future of sustainable ocean and coastal industries.

Panel Discussion and Q&A (5 – 6:20 p.m.): A diverse panel of experts from various sectors —  including sustainable fisheries, ocean management, aquaculture, tourism, marine construction, offshore wind, and blue tech programming — will discuss the practical applications and challenges of growing our region’s sustainable Blue Economy.

Reception (6:20 – 7 p.m.): The evening will conclude with a reception featuring non-alcoholic beverages and hors d’oeuvres, offering attendees a valuable networking opportunity.

• Doug Bush, Director of CA Operations, Ocean Rain Forest
• Jaime Diamond, President of Santa Barbara Landing and VP of the Sportfishing Association of California
• Kristin Miller, President/CEO of Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce
• Holly Nolan-Chavez, Director of South Central Coast Consortium
• Tricia Ramos, Ed.D., Dean of Academic Affairs, Santa Monica College
• Ted Roche, President of Aqueous
• Peter Rupert, Ph.D., Executive Director of Economic Forecast Project and Professor of Economics, UCSB
• Craig Shuman, Ph.D., Marine Region Manager of California Department of Fish & Wildlife
• Bruce Stenslie, Economic Development Collaborative
• Karen Tillman, Associate Executive Director of Economic Development, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
• Chris Voss, President of Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara______________________________________________________________________Event Details:
• Date: Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024
• Time: 4-7 p.m.
• Location: SBCC East Cliff Campus, Campus Center (see map)
• Parking: Parking is FREE on the SBCC Cliff Campus
• Admission: Free and open to the public

For more information and to register for the event, please visit the Evite event link.
About SBCC
Established in 1909, Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is one of the oldest community colleges in California. The district consists of SBCC’s main campus on Santa Barbara’s beachfront coast, two separate campuses for its School of Extended Learning programs, as well as a Cosmetology school. The college offers a range of associate degree, certificate and transfer programs and is recognized by the Department of Education as an official Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).