Celebrating the Heroes Among Us

Each year after we publish our Local Heroes issue, we invite local dignitaries, community members, and our staff to SOhO Restaurant to hear from our heroes and honor them for their good work and continuous contributions to our community. This year, as our volume number turns to 40, so does the amount of times we’ve honored people in our community as local heroes.

At this year’s luncheon, as our Editor-in-Chief Marianne Partridge invited them up on the stage, we got to hear from people in our community who have dedicated their time in their careers and everyday actions to helping Santa Barbara remain a beautiful community. 

From educators and youth project leaders, to activists, organizers, directors, and CEOs, to our local Isla Vista mailman and restaurant owner and our well-known local reporter, we celebrated the people who continue to make Santa Barbara a great place: Doug Caines, Dalia Garcia, Laura Wyatt, Grace Fisher, John Johnson, Mehrdad Homayouni, Jennifer Wasem, Jorge Lopez, Mike Lazaro, Peter Claydon (who also spoke for his wife and fellow honoree Susan Miller as she was unable to attend), Primitiva Hernandez, Megan Birney Rudert, John Palminteri, Raul Cano-Rogers, Paulina Conn and Francesca “Fran” Galt, Elena Cruz, Raúl Aguilera, and Sarah Aguilar. 

This year’s heroes also join the list of close to 800 people and organizations that we have honored over the past 40 years. Other neighbors, friends, and colleagues who have all done what they can to bring help and comfort to those they meet with kindness, generosity, and courage.

You can find our Local Heroes Honor Roll here, or check out the list below. Know of a hero in our community who hasn’t been honored yet? Nominate them for 2026 here.