BIBI MOEZZI JOINS BOARD OF TRUSTEES AT SANTA BARBARA BOTANIC GARDEN

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Santa Barbara, Calif. – August 25, 2022 – Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has named Pacific Premier Bank’s Bibi Moezzi to its Board of Trustees. She joins the 15-member Board comprised of Valerie Hoffman, chair; John Gabbert, vice chair; Kathy Scroggs, secretary; Mark Funk, Treasurer; and board members Jeremy Bassan, Sarah Berkus Gower, Sharon Bradford, Samantha Davis, George Leis, William Murdoch, Helene Schneider, Warren Schultheis, Jesse Smith, and Ann Steinmetz.

“As someone who has great affection for the Garden, I feel honored to have the opportunity to work alongside this amazing Board to preserve and build on its success,” said Moezzi. “My hope is to find more ways to connect the next generation to the Garden and all that it has to teach them.”

“Bibi brings her business and finance acumen, two decades of experience in the Santa Barbara Community and her history of non-profit board service to the Garden,” said Garden Executive Director Steve Windhager, Ph.D.  “This is critical to ensure that the Garden continues to be a financially sound organization that can help our community harness the power of native plants to mitigate climate change and species loss.”

Bibi Moezzi is Senior Vice President and Director of Commercial Banking of Pacific Premier Bank. As Director of Commercial Banking, she leads a team in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties to provide custom banking solutions and strengthen existing relationships. She has built a 20-year banking career in the Santa Barbara area.

Moezzi was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering, she moved to the United States to continue her education. Her introduction to the banking industry was when she held a temporary job as a bank loan processor.

She currently serves on the boards the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce and the nonprofit AHA!, and on the United Boys and Girls Club finance committee. She previously was on the board and executive committee of the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, Old Spanish Days Fiesta, and Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara.

Moezzi received the “Extra Step Award” from Congresswoman Lois Capps and the Santa Barbara Police Department, which is given to citizens who display acts of civic heroism and devotion to their community. She was also recipient of the Pacific Coast Business Times’ 40 Under 40 Award and Top 50 Women in Business.

About Santa Barbara Botanic Garden:

As the first botanic garden in the nation to focus exclusively on native plants, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden has dedicated nearly a century of work to better understand the relationship between plants and people. Growing from 13 acres in 1926 to today’s 78 acres, the grounds now include more than five miles of walking trails, an herbarium, a seed bank, research labs, a library, and a public native plant nursery. Amid the serene beauty of the Garden, teams of scientists, educators, and horticulturists remain committed to the original spirit of the organization’s founders – conserve California native plants and habitats to ensure they continue to support life on the planet and can be enjoyed for generations to come. Visit www.SBBotanicGarden.org.