President
Ana Papakhian joined Camerata Pacifica as Executive Director in 2023, a new pinnacle benchmark advancing her career in the classical music business. This vibrant chamber music nonprofit is an ensemble of the world’s finest and most personable international artists who present unique concerts, creatively commissioned premiere works, and accessible high definition performances via the Nightingale Channel, an extensive video resource for hospitals and more. Ana’s major career highlights include tenures as the Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the Music Academy of the West and Director of Communications for The Cleveland Orchestra and the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. She began her professional life singing with the New Orleans Opera, then launched her administrative work in New York City, where she joined the staff of the Piatigorsky Foundation, and subsequently served as Personal Assistant to the legendary opera singer Marilyn Horne, who became her inspirational mentor.
Treasurer
Brandi Rivera is the publisher of the Santa Barbara Independent. Starting with the company in 2008, Rivera has served as the company’s CFO and business manager, and in August 2017 became the Independent’s first female publisher. Recognized nationally in 2016 as one of Editor & Publisher magazines “Top 25 Under 35,” Rivera is a Santa Barbara “local” by way of UCSB, where she earned both her bachelor’s degree and human resource management certification. She completed her MBA from Pepperdine University in December of 2017.
Secretary
Lauren Bianchi Klemann is a government affairs and communication professional for the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG) representing regional and multi-jurisdictional transportation and housing priority issues. Lauren’s public, private, and nonprofit professional experience spans over 15 years, having worked for K-12 public education, county government, and the American Red Cross. She has experience and skill in strategic communication and coordination among stakeholders of diverse interests and issues. Laurengraduated cum laude from Westmont College in Santa Barbara with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and Religious Studies. She completed academic programs in the Middle East region, Washington DC, and New York. Active in the community, Lauren currently serves as Past Board President of the Public Relations Society of America, California Gold Coast Chapter and is a digital communications EPIC award winning member of the California Association of Public Information Officials.
Past President
Lisa Osborn is a radio broadcaster and entrepreneur. As the news and public affairs director at KCSB FM 91.9, the community and college radio station at UC Santa Barbara, she advises student leaders and trains volunteer reporters. In addition to doing voice-over narrations and producing on-hold messages and audio messaging prompts, Lisa is also executive producer/narrator of Santa Barbara Scenic, a YouTube travel channel spotlighting activities and destinations on the Central Coast. Prior to moving to Santa Barbara in 2015, Lisa anchored news at some of the top news/talk radio stations in Los Angeles. Lisa’s newest project — Moment of Truth: Sorting Fact from Fiction in the Misinformation Age —is also near to her heart. Supported by a grant from the Association for Women in Communications Advancement Fund, and the fiscal sponsorship of the Santa Barbara Foundation, Lisa works with fellow Santa Barbara Journalists/AWC-SB members Starshine Roshell and Amy Marie Orozco to provide free workshops to teach the community how to be savvy, responsible media consumers.
Director, Media
Jennifer LeMay has worked in the communications field for over two decades and served for close to 10 years as the Director of Marketing and Communications for the Santa Barbara City College Foundation, developing strategies to increase support for the Foundation and its mission of supporting SBCC and empowering students to succeed. She also served as a faculty member at SBCC in the Graphic Design and Multimedia Arts departments and is a contributing writer for Edible Santa Barbara magazine. In her free time, she loves watching and photographing birds, painting, and enjoying life in Santa Barbara. Connect with Jennifer on Instagram at @jlemayart.
Director, Membership
Leana Orsua is a former TV news reporter and anchor who has worked at stations in Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Alabama, and locally at Santa Barbara’s KEYT-TV and KSBY-TV – the NBC affiliate in San Luis Obispo, where she served as Chief Bureau Reporter. During her time as a reporter at the Santa Barbara News-Press, she also covered local stories in print. Orsua is a proud 3rd generation Santa Barbara native and grew up attending local schools where she developed her passion for writing at a young age. Over the past 14 years, Orsua has used her communication skills to work in the non-profit sector. She has held fundraising roles at both the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. In 2020, Orsua co-wrote a compilation with 11 other authors, which became an international best-selling book.
Director, Women of Achievement
Katya Armistead is a seasoned educator, mentor, and community leader with over 35 years of experience in higher education and nonprofit service. She currently serves as the Co-Executive Director of Programs at Leading From Within. In this role, she oversees program implementation, alumni engagement, and the cultivation of authentic, equity-driven leadership throughout the social sector. She serves on other local nonprofit boards and as a trustee of the Santa Barbara County Board of Education.
Katya spent the majority of her career at UC Santa Barbara, where she most recently served as the Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Life. In that role, she led the Student Life Cluster, taught in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, and advanced initiatives related to campus climate, equity, and student well-being.
Katya earned both her bachelor’s degree in Sociology and her doctorate in Educational Leadership from UC Santa Barbara. She is a certified trainer for The Leadership Challenge® Workshop. She is recognized for her inclusive leadership, community-centered values, and dedication to developing people and systems that create lasting change.
Director, Social Media
Claudia Dunn has been a Screen Actors Guild member, professional actor and voiceover artist since 1992. She holds B.A. degrees in both Theatre and Dance from the U. of Maryland and a M.A. from USC. Her background includes serving on the White House staff over two administrations as a Press Office reporter. She also owned and operated a thriving L.A. Occupational Therapy private practice of 20 years. Claudia has narrated numerous audiobooks and provided Audio Description narration for the blind on over 1,000 Film & TV titles, including several Masterpiece Theatre series, the recent Oscar-winning documentary, 20 Days in Mariupol, I am: Celine Dion and the upcoming film Conclave. A long time L.A. resident, by way of Boston & Washington, D.C., Claudia made Santa Barbara her home in 2018. She has since joined the SBMA Women’s Board having served on its Executive Committee, has had the pleasure of presenting on audiobook narration to the SB Writers Conference and on the art of Voiceover to the SBIFF Film Camp. Claudia is honored to continue serving on the AWC-SB Board in support of its membership of dynamic professional women communicators.
Director, Hospitality
Beverly Herrera has been a real estate agent and broker since 1993. After a distinguished career in the Bay Area she moved to Santa Barbara to be closer to her family. She joined her daughter Mia to continue their mother daughter team, Mia & Beverly Team. Together, they have helped hundreds of clients achieve their dream of homeownership, particularly in the stunning Santa Barbara Central Coast area. Known for their unwavering commitment to excellence, Mia and Beverly provide timely and concise communication, ensuring every client receives the highest level of service. Their deep-rooted knowledge and passion for real estate began in Silicon Valley and the Tri-Valley Bay Area In the 1990s. They bring this wealth of experience to the Santa Barbara region. Beverly writes a weekly blog to help buyers and sellers navigate the ever-changing real estate market and publishes it on their website. In addition, she writes about the numerous events in the Santa Barbara region and is in the process of creating a weekly calendar.
Director, Programming
Evelyn Spence got her start as a journalist at the University of California, Santa Barbara working for the student-run, weekly print publication, the Daily Nexus. During her four years at the Nexus, she worked the news desk, serving as a news writer, county news editor, lead news editor and managing editor. While in college, she also interned for Santa Barbara Independent, a weekly print publication, and freelanced for the digital Santa Barbara-based outlet Noozhawk.
In 2021, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English literature and a minor in professional writing, journalism emphasis. She joined Coastal View News that same year as the Carpinteria Valley paper’s assistant editor, and since 2022, has served as managing editor. She also freelances as a writer for Carpinteria Magazine and a copy editor for Lum Art Magazine. In her free time, she loves to hike and explore Santa Barbara County with her pup, Violet.
Producer
Jillian Mamey Critelli is a digital design consultant and administrator, as well as a mixed-media fine artist based in Goleta, CA. Her spirited and imaginative work celebrates artistic freedom by capturing both the seen and unseen through photography, abstract painting, and media collage. Originally from Glendale, CA, she attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY for Photography, carries a BFA in Fine Art Media from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA and holds an MA in Organizational Leadership from Woodbury University. She has worked in the cultural arts and non-profit sectors for over a decade. Together with her husband Mike, she runs CritelliCreative LLC, a boutique creative production firm specializing in art, film, media and design.