The Montecito Association Wants YOU Do you care about your Montecito village community? We’d love to have you on our team!

Whether you’re new to Montecito, or have been here for decades, you probably adore the bucolic scenery, laid-back vibe, and rural feel here. 

Well, that didn’t just happen all by itself.

A heck of a lot of people who cared deeply spent decades shaping the community we experience in Montecito today. The Montecito Association was, and remains, a driving force. We have a Montecito Community Plan due to efforts to preserve and protect this special community. We pushed against disruptive city infrastructure, and have lighting standards so you can enjoy the stars. We work to get people experiencing homelessness indoors through the compassionate Hands Across Montecito project. We host a monthly board meeting where you can hear from our schools, Fire Chief, and Sheriffs directly. We produce the annual July 4th Parade, Holiday Parade, and Beautification Day, where we all come out and put our hands on this community with love. 

It truly takes a village to keep this place special!

We’re always looking for talented people like you at the Montecito Association. If you love this place, want to get involved, meet neighbors, learn more about our history, and be part of shaping this community for the future, we’d love to have you! Here are some of our openings:

Board: Meets monthly. We’d love to meet Montecitans with accounting and legal experience, as those are always super helpful. Additionally, if you’ve worked in housing, development, landscaping, architecture, government relations, community-building, media, have been or are presently nonprofit leaders, you could bring a lot to our board. Also very desirable: serving on government boards and commissions, and executive talent. 

Land Use Committee: This team focuses on issues of land use, development, and building in the Montecito area. Members have come from the ranks of architects, developers, builders, engineers, corporate executives, landscapers, and designers. As we’ve moved through several community-hardening efforts like debris basin construction, the team has had to look at large-scale projects and their impacts on this community, and works with government agencies from the County Flood Control District to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Dept of Fish and Game.

Transportation Committee: With the 101 construction project, roundabouts, and walking path installations, this team has had a lot on its plate. We find candidates with engineering experience and those concerned with traffic, biking, and pedestrian access serve well on this team. We’ve also seen some skill with government relations come in handy, as we meet with the state and local transportation agencies, like CHP, Caltrans, Sheriffs, and County Public Works. 

Events Committee: If you like fun, community, and bringing everyone together, this is your team! We produce the July 4th and Holiday parades, and Beautification Day in November. It takes a lot of teamwork to pull off community-wide efforts. We welcome anyone with event production experience, talent with decorating, food, hospitality and entertainment, graphic design, promotion, parents, and a nose for fun. It’s a great group, and we’re always seeking more magic elves to help bring our community together.

History: Montecito is a very historic community, with a long heritage from the days of Spanish colonialization. We have a wonderful archive that you’re welcome to visit. We also invite you to serve on this committee to help preserve our historical resources and help tell our story.

Hands Across Montecito: This team goes out on outreach, connects with individuals experiencing homelessness, and helps move them into shelter and placement with resources to support them. It’s an emotional journey, but one that’s very rewarding. The Hands team has a stellar track record, and recently presented to the Santa Barbara County’s Elected Leaders Forum on Homelessness. If you’re a hands-on, humanitarian-minded soul, this is the team for you! 

If you care about your community and would like to get more involved, we’d love to have YOU! Email us at info@montecitoassociation.org.  

Sharon Byrne is the Executive Director of the Montecito Association