The Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara Board of Directors has appointed Tom Blabey to serve as the organization’s interim Executive Director for 2021. Blabey is currently the nonprofit’s Chief Operating Officer and will retain his COO title and responsibilities in addition to the interim leader role during this transition period.
As interim ED, Blabey will oversee 34 employees and continue to manage the organization’s daily operations. He will also lead Girls Inc.’s ongoing response to the pandemic, and its impact on program delivery.
“I appreciate the board of directors placing their trust in me to lead Girls Inc. during this period of leadership transition,” said Blabey. “The uncertainty brought about by the pandemic has also offered our organization great opportunity to reimagine its work to serve girls in a more sustainable way. I am excited to lead our dedicated team through this period of possibility so we can enhance our impact for girls in our community as we prepare to welcome a new executive leader.”
Prior to joining Girls Inc. as COO in June 2016, Blabey served as Operations Director for the Orfalea Foundation, overseeing HR, financial administration, and property management. He also previously served as Director of Public Policy for the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce. He served as a board member for the Goleta Valley Historical Society from 2012-2018.
Girls Inc.’s previous CEO, Barbara Ben-Horin, left the organization at the end of 2020 following five years of service. The board has formed an executive search task force to begin the process of searching for its next leader, which it aims to have in place before the end of the year.
I am excited to lead our dedicated team through this period of possibility so we can enhance our impact for girls in our community as we prepare to welcome a new executive leader.