Goleta Honors Its Finest

More than 400 people wore their Bacara Resort & Spa finest to celebrate Goleta’s Finest on Thursday night, at the annual event that honors the high-achieving and good-hearted citizens and companies of the Good Land. The 64th annual celebration was hosted by the Goleta Valley Chamber of Commerce, and Tony Vallejo, the chamber’s chair of its Board of Directors, kicked off the night with a few words about the honorees. “We have a lot of great award winners tonight,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of great award winners the past 64 years.”

Here is a list of the winners:

– Patricia Bragg, Woman of the Year

– Peter Jordano, Man of the Year

– Liz Barnitz, K-12 Educator of the Year

– Mike Paresis, Higher Education Educator of the Year

– Alexis Flores, Student of the Year

– Joan Rakowski, Volunteer of the Year

– Anne Pazier, Entrepreneur of the Year

– The Frame-Up, Small Business of the Year

– Montecito Bank & Trust, Large Business of the Year

– Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital Foundation, Nonprofit of the Year