As a woman and a mother of a young daughter, I want the world to change.
~ Kendall Pata, 2021 Board Member
Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara is proud to welcome four new members to its Board of Directors in 2021. These accomplished women bring their professional leadership, passion, and purpose to advocating for and advancing opportunities for girls to thrive in the Santa Barbara community.
Vanessa Garcia
“Having two daughters of my own, ages 3 and 7, I am passionate about the mission of Girls Inc. to teach them to be strong, smart, and bold. With all the challenges in the world, girls need a safe place to grow and learn – and I feel that’s exactly what Girls Inc. provides our community. I am proud to be a Girls Inc. mom and look forward to giving back to the organization as a new board member.”
Vanessa Garcia was recently named a Partner with MacFarlane, Faletti & Co. As a CPA, she provides tax and accounting services to individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations. A Santa Barbara local, she graduated from San Marcos High School and from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a bachelor’s degree in business economics.
In addition to her service to Girls Inc., Vanessa currently also serves as board treasurer for a locally owned corporation, and volunteers as a member of the finance committee for the Moxi Museum.
A proud Girls Inc. parent, she is the second parent representative on the board.
Vanessa will serve on the audit and finance committees.
Luz Reyes-Martín
“The Girls Inc. mission of supporting girls to be strong, smart, and bold is near and dear to my heart as a woman and mom to a girl. Joining the Board of Directors is a great honor. Supporting girls and providing pro-girl environments is transformational for the girls and for our broader community. I look forward to working with a powerhouse Board and dedicated staff to further the Mission of Girls Inc. in our communities.”
Luz Reyes-Martín is a communications and public affairs professional, a community advocate, parent, and resident of the City of Goleta. She has experience and expertise in the fields of communications, public affairs, community development, and marketing.
Luz currently serves as the Executive Director of Public Affairs and Communications at Santa Barbara City College. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Chicano/Chicana Studies from Stanford University and master’s Degrees in Land Use Planning and Public Administration from the University of Southern California (USC). Luz also serves in several leadership positions including as an elected School Board Member for the Goleta Union School District. In addition, she is the currently president of the nonpartisan Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee.
Luz will serve on the governance committee and the executive search task force.
Kendall Pata
“As a woman and a mother of a young daughter, I want the world to change. It’s beyond time that women and girls achieve not only equality, but equity within our society. We deserve freedom from sexual violence, the right of ownership over our own bodies, and the ability to decide for ourselves who we are and who we want to be. By serving on the board of directors, I hope to further the Girls Inc. mission and bill of rights and will loudly advocate for girls in our community and beyond. I strive to embody the Girls Inc. motto of being strong, smart, and bold.”
Kendall Pata is an artist and graphic designer and owner of Type A Creative, a boutique creative agency. Kendall most recently sat on the Board of Directors for the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation where she served as Marketing Chair, developing a new brand identity and website for the Foundation. In 2018, she co-founded the Santa Barbara chapter of Moms Demand Action, a national grassroots advocacy group fighting to end gun violence, and continues as the local group co-leader.
A vocal advocate for women’s rights, education, and the arts, Kendall has volunteered with many local organizations, including the Women’s Fund of Santa Barbara, the Junior League of Santa Barbara (JLSB), and the Santa Barbara County Alliance for Arts Education. She is an active member of the League of Women Voters and the Santa Barbara Young Professionals Club, and recently was invited to serve on the Community Council of Advisors for JLSB.
Kendall will serve on the development committee.
Amie Parrish
“I hope to contribute to the Girls Inc. board by sharing what I have learned in my 30+ years of business knowledge and 20+ years of local non-profit work. Girls Inc. has had a special place in my heart ever since I attended my first GI luncheon right after I moved to Santa Barbara back in 1999. Since I was unable to have children of my own, I enjoy spending my spare time fostering and mentoring teens and being a very involved aunt to my nieces and nephews. I was fortunate to have a wonderful and supportive family growing up but I realized early on that not all children have that luxury. I want to give back to my community by helping Girls Inc. to be the very best It can be.”
A Santa Barbara resident for more than 20 years, Amie brings her talents in fundraising to the board and is eager to serve as an ambassador and advocate for girls in our community. When not helping to advance the Girls Inc. mission, Amie is a private wealth financial advisor and SVP with Wells Fargo.
In 2018 Amie was awarded ‘Top Women in Business’ by Pacific Coast Business Times and in 2020 she was selected as ‘Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors’.
In addition to serving on the Girls Inc board, Amie is a Wish Grantor and board member at Make A Wish® of the Tri-Counties. She has previously served on several non-profit boards, including the Santa Barbara Young Professionals, Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara, Transition House Women’s Auxiliary and Elings Park Foundation.
Amie will serve on the development and audit committees.