AnonymousBy Santa Barbara Beautiful
Santa Barbara Beautiful Moves into the New Year with New Officers and Enthusiasm
Santa Barbara Beautiful, a local non-profit focused on beautification of the built, green, and cultural environment, recently elected a new slate of officers for 2023 including Kerry Methner, President; Susan Bradley, Treasurer/CFO/VP; Marcella Simmons, Vice President; Stephanie Williams, Vice President; and Lucrezia DeLeon, Board Secretary.
Kerry Methner has been the editor and publisher of VOICE Magazine for the last 20 years and is committed to building a community characterized by inclusivity and equity. A lifelong student, she holds a BA, Masters of Divinity, and PhD in Depth Psychology. Methner loves the arts and creating sculpture from stone. She has been on the board of SBB since the early 2000s, is a past SBB president 2009/2010, secretary, and Treasurer/CFO. She has also served as president of the Santa Barbara Sculptors Guild and the Performing Arts League and recently opened Voice Gallery in La Cumbre Plaza.
Susan Bradley is the Deputy Director of External Affairs at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Originally from the Boston area, Susan and her husband Mark moved to Santa Barbara in 2018. She enjoys giving back to her community by volunteering for local organizations and serves on the boards of Santa Barbara Associates and the University Club of Santa Barbara. About her volunteer service on the board of Santa Barbara Beautiful, Bradley says she is, “proud to be part of an organization that literally has its roots in the city it serves.”
Marcella Simmons is a Realtor with Village Properties and the 2023 Vice President of the Santa Barbara Board of Realtors, where she chairs the Education Committee. She holds a BA degree from UCSB in Business Economics and has been a Santa Barbara business person for over 40 years, with retail, sales, and interior design as part of her collective work experience. Her involvement in the real estate, business, arts, design and architecture communities gives her a unique perspective on the Santa Barbara Beautiful Board of Directors. Simmons’ non-profit work has supported the Pearl Chase Society, Friendship Center, Community Kitchen, VP Teachers’ Fund, and the Mission Historical Park Rose Garden, adding to the elixir of life in Santa Barbara.
Stephanie Williams, originally from Florida, went to college in Boston, and moved to California in her twenties. She pursued a career in advertising sales for national magazines, which offered her an opportunity to develop communication skills that have served her well in all areas of her life. Over the years she has mentored young women interested in working in advertising and volunteered at a Human Resources non-profit. Currently in addition to her work at SBB, she is a board member of The Pearl Chase Society. In her free time, she loves collecting art, especially from people she knows.
Lucrezia DeLeon is an Architectural Designer, with over 15 years experience. DeLeon holds a BS in Architecture, with a focus on Sustainable Built Environment and Socio-Equity. Her career has taken her all over the country studying the effects of demographic determinants of health through the built environment. In addition to serving as an officer on the Board of Directors for Santa Barbara Beautiful, DeLeon is the Communications Chair and Board of Director Officer for Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County, and a Board Director for Hillside Housing. DeLeon’s favorite role is being a mama to three precious boys. She loves going to the farmer’s market and exploring the outdoors with her children and partner.
