Welcome A-Board

Four new members have joined the board of directors of Santa Barbara Zoo.

Mitch Avila, Sarah Berkus Gower, Bob Looney, and Robyn Parker are the Fab Four who work together to serve and support the 30-acre menagerie’s mission and dedication – to preservation, conservation and enhancement of the natural world and its myriad treasures through education, research, and recreation.

Avila, provost at California State University Channel Islands, is leading the conversation to adopt a multi-year strategic enrollment plan and expansion of academic programs.

Gower practiced as an attorney at Hollister & Brace with a focus in complex litigation for over a decade and now enjoys the flexibility of legal consulting and volunteering.

Looney has been a realtor for the past 19 years after a successful career on radio for 25 years with KMPG Radio in Hollywood. He grew up in our Eden by the Beach.

Parker earned a degree in Business Economics at UCSB and worked as a program officer at the Hutton Parker Foundation while serving on the foundation’s grant selection committee. She has been a member of the Zoofari Ball Committee since 2015.