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(SANTA BARBARA, CA) – Dr. Carrie Towbes and George Burtness have been selected as the 82nd Persons of the Year for the Santa Barbara area. The two will be honored for their volunteer contributions and service to the community at a luncheon on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort Rotunda.
Tickets and tables are on sale now and may be purchased online at SBFoundation.org/PYAwards.
“The Santa Barbara Foundation is honored to serve as organizing sponsor for Person of the Year, and thrilled to join the community in recognizing Carrie and George for their extensive and meaningful volunteer contributions to improve life in our area,” explained Jackie Carrera, President and CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation.
“Both awardees this year truly embody what it means to show up for the community, and have spent years dedicating their time and expertise to advance well-being in Santa Barbara and to enrich life and increase opportunities for all of us.”
Dr. Carrie Towbes
Carrie Towbes, PhD, is a Licensed Psychologist specializing in child clinical psychology. She has served in schools, hospitals, community mental health centers, and nonprofit agencies as a psychologist. She has also contributed her expertise as a clinical supervisor at CALM and as a past member of the First 5 Santa Barbara County Advisory Board.
Beyond her clinical work, Dr. Towbes has been a dedicated community volunteer and leader, serving on numerous nonprofit boards focused on children and families, including Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, Storyteller Children’s Center and Crane County Day School.
In 2008, Dr. Towbes became more engaged with the Towbes Foundation, established by her parents, Michael and Gail Towbes. Since 1980, the Towbes Foundation has granted $25 million to over 400 organizations across Santa Barbara County. Following her father’s passing in 2017, Carrie took on leadership at the Foundation with a focus on professionalizing operations, cultivating a diverse board, and strategically funding initiatives in youth mental health, education and well-being.
“Carrie’s generosity is evident in the countless ways she personally gives back,” shared Cecily MacDougall, Associate Executive Director of State Street Ballet. “In times of crisis, such as during the recent fires, Carrie has provided pro bono counseling, offering support in urgent and critical situations. Her love for Santa Barbara runs deep, and she has spent decades giving back to the city she calls home. She embodies the values of honor, integrity, and civic responsibility.”
Raised in Santa Barbara, Dr. Towbes returned in 2008 after nearly three decades in the mid-Atlantic. In addition to her PhD in Clinical Psychology, she holds an MEd in Special Education, and a BS in Elementary Education. Before earning her doctorate, she worked as a special education teacher, supporting elementary students with learning and behavioral challenges.
George Burtness
A lifelong conservationist and volunteer, George Burtness spent 40 years in Palo Alto where he earned a bachelor’s in psychology and an MBA at Stanford University, before returning to his hometown of Santa Barbara in 1990.
While at Stanford, Mr. Burtness participated in conservation biology projects in Costa Rica and the US Virgin Islands. In the decades that followed, he volunteered for 15 years with Earthwatch research projects, and after returning to Santa Barbara, spent 45 years with The Nature Conservancy studying endangered species on Santa Cruz Island, and participated in Channel Islands Restoration’s efforts across the Santa Barbara Channel Islands and mainland.
In addition to his environmental work, Mr. Burtness has dedicated thousands of hours to Santa Barbara institutions. He has served Cottage Hospital as a volunteer for 17 years including leading the Cottage Hospital Volunteer Board, which supports the work of 900 volunteers across three hospitals. He was also a member of the Cottage Hospital Institutional Review Board, participating in the review of research projects at the hospital.
“Mr. Burtness has volunteered at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital and selflessly given more than 4,600 hours in service to others,” shared Ron Werft, President and CEO of Cottage Health. “He is loved by everyone at Cottage.”
“His spirit of giving extends beyond his time and service—he is committed to advancing medical education for healthcare providers, pledging to establish the George L. Burtness Endowment in Nursing Education Fund to support scholarships for nursing students to further their education and clinical skills.”
Mr. Burtness has volunteered with Lotusland for 30 years, recorded books for the Braille Institute’s Talking Books program, and volunteered with Direct Relief International.
His leadership extends across numerous nonprofit boards, including as Chair of the Board for Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, a position previously held by his father, Hildahl Burtness. Mr. Burtness has also served as President of the Lobero Theatre Foundation.
His other board service includes the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Music Academy of the West, Channel Islands Restoration, Lotusland Lotus Society, and Santa Cruz Island Foundation Advisory Board.
The annual Person of the Year award program honors Santa Barbara-area individuals, couples, or families whose volunteer service represents a meaningful commitment to the community, addresses real community needs, enhances the quality of life in the Santa Barbara area, or has involved acts of generosity, kindness, or innovation, with an emphasis on the recent accomplishments and achievements.
The process to select the 82nd Persons of the Year began with open nominations from January 9 to February 19, 2025. Anyone in the community could nominate an individual, couple or family. Former recipients of the award reviewed the nominations and selected this year’s awardees on the morning of March 9, with input from nonprofit leaders.
Known as the Man and Woman of the Year award until 2020, this event has been hosted for over 80 years. The inaugural honorees of the Man and Woman of the Year award were Harold Chase in 1942 and Pearl Chase in 1956. Jim Morouse and Peter Schuyler were last year’s awardees.
The 82nd Person of the Year celebration is supported by Legacy Sponsor Montecito Bank & Trust and Organizing Sponsor the Santa Barbara Foundation, Premier Media Sponsor Noozhawk, Gold Sponsors Cox, The Kellogg Organization and Cottage Health, Silver Sponsors Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf, Cindy Lyons, Steve Lyons and Patty MacFarlane; and Bronze sponsors Katina Zaninovich and Ventura Rentals.
Individuals and organizations interested in sponsoring Person of the Year may reach out to Kevin Kuga, Business Development Manager for the Santa Barbara Foundation at kkuga@sbfoundation.org.
About Santa Barbara Foundation
The Santa Barbara Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life throughout Santa Barbara County for all who live, work, play and visit here. Working in partnership with individuals, community organizations, nonprofits, businesses, education and government, the Foundation strives to address our local communities’ most challenging needs. Recognizing that its work depends on the strength of the social sector, the Foundation is committed to the health and vitality of local nonprofits. Nearly every Santa Barbara County nonprofit organization and essential community project has been supported by the Foundation during its 96-year history. The Foundation connects philanthropists, subject matter experts, and our community members facing challenges – all who dream of stronger communities in Santa Barbara County. To learn more, please visit https://sbfoundation.org/.
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