Pedro Paz, Executive Director of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation, has announced his decision to step down, with his resignation effective June 7.
The Board of Directors supports Pedro in his decision and extends its deep gratitude for his leadership and service over the past three years. During his tenure, Pedro helped advance SBEF’s mission to support programs that enrich the academic, artistic, and personal development of all students in the Santa Barbara Unified School District. Under his leadership, SBEF developed a comprehensive Strategic Plan and strengthened its operational effectiveness to lay a strong foundation for the future.
To ensure a smooth transition, the SBEF Board has appointed long-time SBEF Program Manager Katie Szopa as Interim Executive Director. Katie brings deep institutional knowledge and a strong commitment to SBEF’s mission and to the community.
The Board will soon launch a broad search for a permanent Executive Director to continue SBEF’s important work and implement its long-term strategic priorities.
The Board of Directors thanks Pedro for his integrity, professionalism, and dedication and wishes him continued success in all of his future endeavors.
Founded in 1985, the Santa Barbara Education Foundation promotes private support of Santa Barbara’s public education system, serving 12,000 students in 21 schools. For more information, visit santabarbaraeducation.org.
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