Foundational Persons

It was a very in-tents occasion when a giant marquee covered the Hilton Hotel’s rotunda when the Santa Barbara Foundation held its 81st Persons of the Year lunch, with awards going to Jim Morouse and Peter Schuyler, whose mother Jane Schuyler won the award in 1997, making them the first mother-son duo to be so recognized.

More than 300 guests packed the venue as former Person of the Year awardee Ginger Salazar, Janet Garufis, president and CEO of Montecito Bank & Trust, and Jackie Carrera, foundation president and CEO, welcomed supporters.

Morouse, has decades of global marketing experience, taught management at Westmont College and entrepreneurial marketing at UCSB, and has been an extensive volunteer with more than ten years each on the board of advisors of Westmont College, the Lobero Theatre Foundation – including the $7 million Encore Lobero campaign, and the Santa Barbara Foundation.

He was introduced by Ken Saxon founder and board chair of Leading from Within.

Schuyler, who was introduced by Sigrid Wright, CEO and Executive Director of the Community Environmental Council, is currently on the board of directors of the council, Fairview Gardens, and Midland School. Past service includes serving as chair and on the boards of the Environmental Defense Center and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, where he chaired the $4 million Backcountry campaign and played a leading role as co-chair of the $18 million Foothills Forever campaign to preserve the San Marcos foothills.

Among the hordes turning out were Greg Gorga, Bruce Coffin, former foundation head honcho Ron Gallo (who flew in from Louisville, Kentucky), Dean Noble, Anne Towbes, Luke Swetland, David Selberg, Wayne Siemens, mayor Randy Rowse, Gerd Jordano, Sue Adams, Penny Bianchi, Palmer Jackson Jr., Joan Hartmann, Bob and Chris Emmons, John Daly, Nina Dunbar, Marcia Constance, Alex Castillo, Hannah-Beth Jackson, Joseph Cole, Bob and Patty Bryant, Charles de L’Arbre, and Karl Hutterer.