Santa Barbara’s League of Women Voters Seats New Directors and Debuts New Website

The League of Women Voters of Santa Barbara (LWVSB) is announcing three new board members and a new website. Joining the Board of Directors are Dianne Meester Black, Emily Engel, and Linda Honikman.

Dianne Meester Black. A Santa Barbara resident since 1978, Dianne holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from UCSB. An interest in planning led her to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Master’s program for City and Regional Planning. Returning to Santa Barbara, Dianne joined the County of Santa Barbara’s Resource Management Department (now Planning and Development), working in every division, most positions, and at every level before retiring as Department Director in 2019.

Emily Engel, PhD. A community advocate who focuses on women and the environment, Emily is an independent art historian who earned her bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and her masters and doctorate degrees from Boston College. She has published several articles and books on visual culture in Latin America, is the founding associate editor of Latin American and Latinx Visual Culture – a scholarly academic journal published by the University of California, and often teaches undergraduate courses for the Latin American and Iberian Studies Program at UCSB.

Linda Honikman. After growing up in Dallas, Linda majored in Human Relations and worked in Raleigh, NC as a community planner. She moved to Miami where she earned a master’s degree in Architecture and Planning. From 1980 to 2005, her work centered on software development, design, and media projects for the running industry. Linda moved to Santa Barbara in 1990 and has become an active member of the LWVSB’s Social Policy and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committees. Linda looks forward to pursuing her interests in social justice, housing, and community planning.

As one of 68 Leagues throughout California, the League of Voters of Santa Barbara is a 501(c)(3) charitable trust, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. LWVSB has 14 additional board members whose work focuses on Voter Service, Redistricting, Housing and Homelessness, Criminal Justice Reform, and other topical issues – all through a lens of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

“Each member of our Board of Directors is a passionate advocate for community involvement,” added LWVSB President Vijaya Jammalamadaka. “The League of Women Voters is a great way to play a role in the community, and our robust new website is an easy way to learn more at http://www.lwvsantabarbara.org.”