Edhat StaffThe Junior League of Santa Barbara (JLSB) thanks outgoing President Marissa Byrne for her outstanding leadership of the League over the past year. This year the JLSB celebrated its 92nd anniversary while beginning the implementation of a new Focus Area.
“I am honored to have led this group of professional, intelligent, passionate, and generous women, especially during such an exciting time in the organization’s history. I believe wholeheartedly in the JLSB’s mission of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and impacting our local community through effective action and leadership,” shared Byrne as she reflected on the organization’s past year. She added, “I am confident that – through the continued support of our community and the hard work of our membership and incoming leadership – we will continue to make a meaningful impact in Santa Barbara and as we facilitate the opening of SAFE House Santa Barbara (Saving At-risk youth From Exploitation House). This home will be a 6-bed, residential shelter in Santa Barbara County for girls who have been rescued from sexual exploitation and sex trafficking.” 
During her presidency, the League’s two main annual fundraisers – the Fall Giant Rummage Sale and the Spring Gala – raised nearly $130,000 to help fund volunteer work and Community Assistance Funds focused on improving the lives of at-risk youth. Additionally, with the help of our many generous supporters, the League raised an additional $145,000 to fund the opening of SAFE House Santa Barbara, the first residential shelter of its kind in Santa Barbara County that will house and rehabilitate girls who have been victims of trafficking.
During the 2016-2017 JLSB year, the organization welcomed 52 new members, bringing the membership total to over 422 members. These invested volunteers conducted 10 projects aimed at serving the clients of other non-profit community organizations and also organized three professional trainings to further support members’ ability to make an effective impact in our community. In addition to attending JLSB-hosted trainings, members also represented their League at several Association of Junior Leagues International Conferences in order to learn best practices, meet other League members and to form networks across the other 290+ Junior Leagues nationwide.
In addition to her time serving the Junior League of Santa Barbara, Byrne is a seasoned Program Manager for Raytheon Vision Systems. She has held several leadership positions during her seven-year JLSB membership, including five years of Board service prior to her presidency. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering and a Master of Science in Engineering with a concentration in Integrated Technology Management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Byrne passes the presidential baton to incoming President, Danielle Hazarian, who joined the JLSB in 2010, has also served in several leadership positions, and is currently a Product Manager for Sientra, Inc. Hazarian will lead a nine-member Board and encourages Santa Barbara County women to consider joining the organization to further their professional and personal impact in Santa Barbara County. Hazarian and her Membership Committee are hosting several informational sessions throughout the summer, the next of which is scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, August 15. To learn more, follow the Junior League of Santa Barbara on social media or email join@jlsantabarbara.org.
About The Junior League of Santa Barbara
The Junior League of Santa Barbara is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. Chartered in 1924, JLSB has a local history rich with projects that have changed the lives of many of our community members. Projects have included assisting in the opening of the Sexual Assault Response Team Cottage (SART Cottage) located at Cottage Hospital, hosting bone marrow and blood drives, the Eastside Library renovation, and the recent collaboration with the Downtown Public Library and other non-profits in town to open the Children’s Wing and continue to improve youth literacy. For more information or to support the Junior League of Santa Barbara, call 805-963-2704, visit our website at jlsantabarbara.org, or follow us on Facebook (@jlsantabarbara), Twitter (@JuniorLeague_SB) and Instagram (@jlsantabarbara).
