As a reporter for her college newspaper, Vicki Allen covered the march in Selma where she saw people risking their lives for the right to vote. “I became a member of the League of Women Voters because of the League’s long commitment to voting rights." Vicki has been on our Board since 2011. As the VP Communications, the Chicago native draws on her expansive career as a reporter for daily newspapers, editor and publisher of a weekly newspaper, magazine travel writer, and public relations officer for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. She has lived in Santa Barbara since 1984. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Illinois. She is also on the Board of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee.

Laura grew up in the redwoods in the very northern part of California, but has lived in Santa Barbara since 1978. She received her BA, MA and PhD in Geography (with a focus on Environmental Science and Climate) at UCSB. She then worked as a professor at Cal State Northridge and continued her climate research. When the new Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at UCSB opened in the late 90’s, she worked for 15 years as the Bren School’s first Assistant Dean, where she played an instrumental role in building the Master’s of Environmental Science and Management (MESM) Program. While working at UCSB, she obtained a Certificate in Professional Accounting from the UCSB Extension Program and pursued numerous management training courses.

Laura has also been active in the health and fitness world. She was a Jazzercise instructor for 16 years, and a certified yoga and pilates instructor. Laura and her husband Frank Davis (a UCSB professor emeritus) built a small cabin off the grid in southwestern Montana where they spend time in the summer, hike many miles and catch (and release) many trout on fly rods. She enjoys walking her three dogs, reading, gardening, traveling, learning new languages and watching hockey (go Bruins).

Her interest in the League was sparked by her parents who both had PhDs in American Politics. Her mom was a long-time active League member here in Santa Barbara. Her father served as the election and politics expert on the local news station’s coverage of countless elections. As such, belief in the importance of voting, voter education, and getting the vote out was drilled into her at a young age.

Pam brings her rich background in the fields of vocational rehabilitation, mental health, and developmental disabilities to her role as Chair of our League’s Social Policy Committee, which she has co-chaired since 2018. In 2019, she added the responsibilities of a League Vice President. She grew up in central Indiana with short stints in Florida and Washington, D.C. Showing a resourceful nature, she raised her children as a single parent while raising her children living in and rehabilitating Victorian houses in Muncie, Indiana. Her early activism in her neighborhood association resulted in the establishment of a reinvestment corporation to revitalize the area.

Here in Santa Barbara, Pam served as the Executive Director of the nonprofit Hillside, a licensed 59-bed home for persons with developmental and intellectual disabilities. She has degrees in home economics education, community education, and curriculum. She is on the Boards of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee and Hillside. Pam and her husband Dave Tambo have lived in Goleta since 1993. They both enjoy traveling.

Claire is impressed by the League's work in promoting democracy, informing voters about issues and candidates, and protecting the right to vote. She hopes to contribute more to these efforts by serving on our local League Board.

Claire has been a member of the League for over ten years and has served as moderator for many of our candidate forums. She has also presented the League's "Pros and Cons" on ballot propositions to community groups numerous times (pre-pandemic).

A former biology teacher and Santa Barbara School Board member, she is particularly interested in issues of equity in education. She has been an active board member of several non-profits, including the Santa Barbara Education Foundation and Postpartum Support International. She has been a member of the Santa Barbara - Goleta Valley branch of AAUW for 50 years, serving in many capacities including branch President.

When Elaine retired from her career as a registered dietitian/nutritionist, she dove into work with the League of Women Voters of North Coast San Diego County where she served as President for two years. During her tenure, the North Coast League successfully placed a proposition on the local ballot that passed. She also started a Political Book Club which is still going strong after 21 years. Elaine moved to Santa Barbara ten years ago and joined our Board as Secretary. In September 2018, Elaine started “Overbooked,” our dynamic political book club that educates members about current and prospective League issues. She is also a Master Gardener who also enjoys playing bridge and golfing.

At the June 2020 annual meeting, Elaine was elected to a 2-year term.

Anne has been a League member since the early 1970s, when she took part in a study of municipal finance in Cleveland Heights, OH. A series of relocations led her to join other Leagues (two in California, one in Wisconsin), where her membership enabled her to find meaningful relationships and activities in each new city. When her musicologist husband, Tom, found stable employment at the Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, she joined the League in Ohio’s capital city and plunged into Voter Service activities. She served as a board member, while leading a committee taking part in a national study of United States defense policy.

In 2001, after Tom retired, they moved to Santa Barbara and the League once again provided a way for Anne to make local connections. For six years she served on the LWVSB Board as editor of the Channel Voter (back when it was still printed and mailed to League members). She was also very involved in the International Relations Committee and with adjacent topics, such as the national study on immigration policy. More recently, she served as secretary to the Education Fund, which has since merged into the LWVSB. She is now excited to be rejoining the Board and learning new technological skills.