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United Boys & Girls of Santa Barbara County 2025 Annual Meeting, January 30, 2025. Santa Barbara Club. Photo: ©2025 Isaac Hernández de Lipa / IsaacHernandez.com

Carpinteria, CA – The United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County (UBGC) is proud to announce Diana Ornelas, Club Director of the Carpinteria Unit, as the 2024 Director of the Year. This prestigious, peer-nominated award honors a staff member who demonstrates exceptional commitment to youth, dedication to the organization, support for fellow staff, and active involvement in the community.

With a deep-rooted passion for youth development, Diana has been an invaluable part of the Boys & Girls Club movement since 1991. Her journey with UBGC began at the Carpinteria Club under the leadership of Rich Medel. Over the years, she has contributed her expertise to various Boys & Girls Club organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Ventura, before returning to Carpinteria in 2021. In her current role, she continues to inspire, mentor, and make a lasting impact on club members, including her own granddaughters, who attend the Club.

Michael Baker, CEO said “Diana is the epitome of being a United Boys & Girls Clubs team member. She works tirelessly on behalf of ALL our Clubs from Carpinteria to Lompoc and everywhere in between.”

Diana is more than a leader at UBGC—she is a leader in the broader Boys & Girls Club community. As a Tier Two trainer for Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) and an active member of BGCA Latinos Unidos Movement Resource Group (MRG), she is dedicated to promoting equity and leadership opportunities for Latino professionals. Recently, she was also selected as the West Coast representative for BGCA’s GRO (Generations Reaching Opportunities) MRG, where she helps cultivate the next generation of Boys & Girls Club leaders.

A fellow UBGC Director shared:
“Diana is a team player when it comes to collaborating with other clubs and is always someone her peers can call for advice, questions, or just ideas. She is also a hardworking individual who puts in extra time—all for the benefit of our members.”

The Director of the Year Award recognizes individuals like Diana, whose passion, hard work, and dedication to serving youth leave a lasting imprint on the organization and the community. UBGC is honored to celebrate her remarkable contributions and looks forward to her continued impact.

About Boys & Girls Clubs of America

For 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA.org) has provided a safe place for kids and teens to learn and grow. Clubs offer caring adult mentors, fun and friendship, and high-impact youth development programs on a daily basis during critical non-school hours. Boys & Girls Club’s programming promotes academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles. More than 4,700 Clubs serve 4.6 million young people through Club membership and community outreach. Clubs are located in cities, towns, public housing and on Native lands throughout the country, and serve military families in BGCA-affiliated Youth Centers on U.S. military installations worldwide. National headquarters are located in Atlanta. Learn more about Boys & Girls Clubs of America on Facebook and Twitter.

About the United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County

The United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County serves over 3,600 youth in our communities. The Club’s mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, and responsible citizens. For more information about the United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County, visit www.unitedbg.org.

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