2026
Association for Women in Communications
18th Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon
“Powerful Voices, Purposeful Change —
Women Leading Through Civic Engagement”
Thursday, May 7, 2026
11:30am – 1:30pm
Cabrillo Pavilion
1118 E. Cabrillo Blvd., Santa Barbara
Event registration is coming soon – please check back.
This year AWC-SB celebrates four extraordinary women whose work and leadership have strengthened and uplifted Santa Barbara’s immigrant community. Through their fierce commitment, adaptability, and compassion, these honorees have elevated critical conversations, empowered others to act, and inspired meaningful change.
- Teresa Alvarez Executive Director of the Carpinteria Children’s Project
- Primitiva Hernandez Executive Director of 805UndocuFund
- Viviana Marsano Assistant Dean, Civic and Community Engagement, Division of Student Affairs, UC Santa Barbara
- Julissa Peña Executive Director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Center
These women uniquely embody the 2026 Women of Achievement theme, Powerful Voices, Purposeful Change – Women Leading Through Civic Engagement highlighting women who use their platforms to advance equity and strengthen communities.
The annual Women of Achievement Awards are one way AWC-SB strives to empower women. By acknowledging exemplary women leaders in communications, AWC-SB provides inspiring role models for women within or pursuing careers in journalism, public speaking, writing, public relations, filmmaking, photography, and related disciplines. Every contribution to this event helps AWC-SB sustain and provide meaningful professional development opportunities throughout the year.
AWC-SB’s monthly meetings help women stay current with developments in the technology, practice, and ethics of contemporary communications. In addition, AWC-SB offers an annual networking event, a holiday party, Founder’s awards, and more . AWC-SB’s offerings are designed to encourage cross-sector connections.
Teresa Kuskey, Melinda Palacio, Adriana Arriaga, Frances Moore, JoAnne Wasserman
Meet the Women of Achievement
2026 Honorees
Teresa Alvarez
Executive Director,
Carpinteria Children’s Project
Primitiva Hernandez
Executive Director,
805 UndocuFund
Viviana Marsano
Assistant Dean,
Civic and Community Engagement, UCSB
Julissa Peña
Executive Director,
Immigrant Legal Defense Center
About Our Honorees
Teresa Alvarez
As the Executive Director of the Carpinteria Children’s Project, Teresa Alvarez leads efforts to advance equity and opportunity for children and families across Santa Barbara County. With over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, Teresa is a passionate advocate for early childhood education, immigrant communities, and systems-level change.
Born in Guanajuato, Mexico, and raised in California as an undocumented student, Teresa’s lived experience shaped her unwavering belief in the power of mentorship, hard work, and education. She is a proud first-generation college graduate, holding a B.A. in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara and a master’s in psychology from Antioch University Santa Barbara.
Teresa has held leadership roles on numerous boards, including Future Leaders of America, Rotary Club of Carpinteria, Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics, and the First 5 Santa Barbara County Commission. She is also a founding member of the Santa Barbara Latino Giving Circle, where she champions grassroots philanthropy and community-led solutions.
Her contributions have earned her the Woman of Service Award from the County of Santa Barbara Commission for Women and the DEI Advocate Award from Philanos, a national network of women’s giving circles.
When she’s not working to build stronger, more inclusive communities, Teresa enjoys traveling, reading, and chasing after her two young sons, Enzo and Nico.
Primitiva Hernandez
Primitiva Hernandez is the Executive Director of 805UndocuFund, serving Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. An immigrant from Mexico and a DACA recipient, she has lived in the California Central Coast since childhood and is the daughter of farmworker parents. Her personal experience as an undocumented college student and working parent fuels her dedication to immigrant rights and supporting the undocumented community.
Through the 805 Immigrant Rapid Response Network, Primitiva oversees a tri-county volunteer network that monitors and documents immigration enforcement activity, operates a 24/7 community hotline, conducts rapid response and “Know Your Rights” training, and coordinates mutual aid support for families facing detention and deportation. Under her leadership, hundreds of trained volunteers stand ready to protect community members and connect them with critical resources.
With over ten years of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector and local housing authorities, Primitiva was recently accepted into the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality Institute and currently serves as Chair for the Santa Barbara County Climate Collaborative. She holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Antioch University Santa Barbara and an associate’s degree from Santa Barbara City College.
Viviana Marsano
Born and raised in Argentina, Viviana Marsano moved to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB and completed a PhD in British history. Before coming to the US, she received a graduate degree in English Language and Literature. At UCSB, she worked at the UCSB MultiCultural Center for 15 years, where she started her long journey and found her passion for equity and inclusion.
She is currently Assistant Dean for Civic and Community Engagement in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of California, Santa Barbara. In this role, she works closely with
Registered Campus Organizations, academic and student affairs departments, and the Isla Vista community in civic and community initiatives like voter registration and social, educational, and environmental activities. She firmly believes in access to higher education for first-generation, low-income students. Her focus is on the development of students as involved and empathetic citizens as they participate in community initiatives. She believes that civic learning occurs beyond books and the classroom and should be honed through hands-on active engagement. To this end, Viviana co-designed and co-teaches the Civic Engagement Scholars Program (CESP).
Viviana has been a translator and interpreter for over 25 years. In her quest to give a voice to the marginalized, she co-founded Voices Translation and Interpreting Services. She works in education, government agencies, and the non-profit sector. Viviana was one of the founding members of the Language Justice Network in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Santa Maria, an initiative of Just Communities Central Coast to bring language justice to non-speakers of English in the school system and the community.
Viviana has served on the boards of several local nonprofits. In 2020, she received the Service Award from the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women, Third District. This year, she was one of the recipients of the Margaret T. Getman Service to Students Award from the Division of Student Affairs at UCSB.
Julissa Peña
Julissa Peña is the executive director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Center (ILDC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing indigent immigrants with equal access to justice and due process by providing free legal representation to individuals facing deportation proceedings and through community education to help people understand and assert their fundamental civil rights. Before joining the Immigrant Legal Defense Center, she worked closely with two other immigrant rights organizations, including Border Angels, a nonprofit organization that fights for migrant rights and the prevention of immigrant deaths along the border, and as a child advocate for unaccompanied immigrant children facing deportation proceedings at The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights.
About Our Emcee
This year’s event will be emceed by Tracy Lehr of News Channel 3-12.
Read more about Tracy Lehr
Tracy Lehr joined News Channel 3-12 more than two decades ago as a reporter, anchor and host. She is currently the anchor of News Channel 3-12 evening weekend newscasts as well as an evening live reporter during the week.
Tracy received her big break reporting on radio and TV in Vail, Colorado where she also taught skiing.
As the daughter of two university professors she thought it was important to continue her education, earning a masters degree in broadcast journalism from USC.
Prior to joining News Channel 3-12, Tracy anchored at The Business Channel in Los Angeles, KHSL in Chico and the Ventura County News Network. She also co-hosted the national program RV-Today on the Outdoor Life Network.
Tracy solo anchored the Emmy and Bill Stout award winning breaking newscast the day the Gipper died. She won an individual Emmy for her coverage of the Montecito 1/9 Debris Flow and she has also won a number of Murrow Awards, Golden Mikes and group Emmys.
Sponsorship Info
Learn more about our honorees and sponsoring the 18th Women of Achievement luncheon below.
Firestone
Interested in Sponsoring Women of Achievement?
For Individuals and organizations who are interested in sponsoring the
18th Women of Achievement Awards, please email news@awcsb.org
About AWC-SB
The Association for Women in Communications – Santa Barbara (AWC-SB) empowers women to develop and deepen the communication skills they need to succeed in a variety of fields. Members enjoy educational and networking opportunities to elevate their careers, enhance personal growth, and become agents of change. Now an independent organization, AWC- SB served for many years as the award-winning local chapter of the national Association for Women in Communications and is governed by an all-volunteer board. AWC-SB members include journalists and broadcasters, entrepreneurs, designers and marketers, authors, corporate communicators, photographers, coaches, and public relations experts. AWC-SB offers opportunities to network with colleagues, hosts monthly meetings (free for members) featuring experts on current topics, and presents the annual Women of Achievement Awards event. Visit awcsb.org to learn more about the organization, its all- volunteer board, and upcoming events.
AWC-SB was founded in 2006 by communications consultant Lois Phillips, publisher Mindy Bingham, and producer Deborah Hutchison. They saw the need for a dynamic, local organization that cut across sectors to bring together professional communicators, solopreneurs, scholars, and corporate communicators as well as communications majors at local colleges and universities. AWC-SB’s professional development and networking opportunities throughout the year are sustained by membership dues and critical funding from sponsors of the annual Women of Achievement event.
Professional Development
Our membership includes women at different stages of their careers and with different backgrounds and skill sets. Regular networking meetings allow women to deepen their professional friendships, often leading to collaborative opportunities. Monthly meetings feature speakers and panel discussions designed to help communicators stay at the top of their game. The association also offers casual opportunities for members to meet in person, in smaller groups.
Special Events
The annual Women of Achievement luncheon honors inspirational local communicators who make a difference in the Santa Barbara community.
AWC-SB hosts an annual holiday party where we recognize a Member of the Year and support a Volunteer Organization of the Year. A few of the local nonprofits that have benefited from our generosity include Girls Inc., Friendship Center, Storyteller Children’s Center, Domestic Violence Solutions, and Santa Barbara Women’s Fund.
The organization also celebrates local communicators with the Founder’s Award. Recent recipients include local college journalists Rosie Bultman, Joyce Chi and Cebelli Pfeifer, Dr. Ann Lippincott (leader of Mental Health Matters Volunteer Team); Dr. Katrina Mitchell (breast surgeon and advocate for women’s health); Kristine Schwarz (executive director of New Beginnings), Teri Jory (community activist), Jen Baron (founder of Amplify Arts (formerly Girls Rock Santa Barbara), Guille Gil-Reynoso (co-founder of the Santa Barbara Latina Leaders Network), Anna Laura Jansma, (communications liaison at UCSB), Kate Carter (founder of Life Chronicles), and Rebecca Claassen (spokesperson for Citizens’ Climate Lobby).
Leadership
AWC-SB is governed by an all-volunteer board. The 2025-263 Board of Directors includes Ana Papakhian, Beverly Herrera, Katya Armistead, Leana Orsua, Claudia Dunn, Eveyln Spence, Brandi Rivera, Jen LeMay, Lisa Osborn and Lauren Bianchi Klemann
Women of Achievement
Past Recipients
~ 2025 ~
“Creative Communication: Building Community through the Arts”
Adriana Arriaga, Artist, Designer, Activist
Teresa Kuskey, La Boheme Dance Founder and Director
Frances Moore, Santa Barbara Ring Shout Project Co- Founder
Melinda Palacio, Santa Barbara’s 10th Poet Laureate (2023-2025)
Joanne Wasserman, Music Director and Conductor of The Santa Barbara Choral Society
~ 2024 ~
“Lessons in Leadership: Connecting & Communicating as Education Evolves”
Katya Armistead, Assistant Vice Chancellor and Dean of Student Life at UCSB
Yolanda Medina-Garcia, retired Director of Starr King Parent-Child Workshop
Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools
Wendy Sims-Moten, Executive Director of First 5 Santa Barbara County
~ 2023 ~
“Climate Champions: Bold Communication for a Sustainable Future”
Hillary Hauser, Executive Director of Heal the Ocean and author
Dr. Leah Stokes, Assoc. Professor of Environmental Politics UCSB
~ 2022~
“Navigating Uncharted Waters”
Santa Barbara Public Health, Van Do-Reynoso
Santa Barbara County Public Health, Jackie Ruiz
Santa Barbara Public Health, Van Do-Reynoso
Santa Barbara County Executive Office, Mona Miyasato
Santa Barbara County Executive Office, Terri Nisich
Santa Barbara County Department of Behavioral Wellness, Suzanne Grimmessey
Former Santa Barbara Communications Manager, Gina DePinto
~ 2020/21 ~
“Vision, Voice, and Advocacy for a New Generation”
Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara Barbara Ben-Horin
Santa Barbara City College & Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee Luz Reyes-Martin
~ 2019 ~
“Making a Difference With Stories that Matter”
KEYT Journalist and Anchor Beth Farnsworth
Strategic Samurai Kymberlee Weil
~ 2018 ~
“Courageous Communicators”
State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson
Dr. Carrie Hutchinson, Chair of the Communication Department SBCC
~ 2017 ~
“Inspirational Women Leaders: Communication, Empowerment, Outcomes”
Helene Schneider, Former Mayor, Santa Barbara
Patty DeDominic, Founder, International Women’s Festival
~ 2016 ~
“Women Stand Up, Speak Out”
Lois Capps, Former Congresswoman
Dr. Lois Phillips, Communications Consultant and Founder AWC-SB
~ 2015 ~
“Pioneers for Change: Communication, Community, Choice”
Sigrid Wright, Director, Earth Day Festival
Marilyn Tam, Author, The Happiness Choice
~ 2014 ~
“Giving Voice: Leadership, Education, Community”
Nancy Leffert, President. Antioch University
Marianne Partridge, Editor in Chief, Santa Barbara Independent
~ 2013 ~
“Money Matters: Journalism, Justice, and Empowerment”
Kathleen Sharp, Author, Blood Medicine
Marsha Bailey, Founder and CEO, Women’s Economic Ventures
~ 2012 ~
“From Breaking News to Awakening the Muse”
Perie Longo, SB Poet Laureate Emerita
Paula Lopez, Television journalist
~ 2011 ~
“From Ink to Internet: Honoring Visionaries in Communication”
Lynda Weinman, Founder, Lynda.com
Starshine Roshell, Syndicated columnist
~ 2010 ~
“Writing Truth, Empowering Women”
Sara Miller McCune, Publisher, Sage Communications
Marcia Meier, Author and Director, SB Writers Conference
~ 2009 ~
“Championing Leaders, Building Relationships, Recognizing Excellence”
Catherine Remak, Radio host
Ann Louise Bardach, Journalist
~ 2008 ~
Producer Deborah Hutchinson
and reporters at the Santa Barbara News Press including Jane Hulse, Melinda Burns,
Dawn Hobbs, Melissa Evans, and Anna Davison
In the News
- “6 Honored with Women of Achievement Award” – Santa Barbara News-Press
- “AWC-SB 14th Annual Women Achievement Awards Luncheon” – Edhat
- “Women of Achievement Awards to honor six resilient communicators” – Coastal View News
- 12th Annual Women of Achievement Awards in the Montecito Journal (page 28)
- “Carpinteria represents at the 12th Annual Women of Achievement Awards luncheon”
- Santa Barbara Applauds Women’s History Month Celebrate with the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Association for Women in Communications