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Santa Barbara, CA — Laguna Blanca is pleased to welcome Tyler Duncan, Carter Thicke ’15, and Henning Thorsen to the school’s Board of Trustees. Each brings a distinct combination of professional experience, community involvement, and perspective to the board, along with a shared commitment to Laguna and its future.
The Board of Trustees plays an important role in stewarding Laguna’s mission and ensuring that the school remains true to its core values of Scholarship, Character, Balance, and Community. Working in partnership with the Head of School, trustees provide strategic guidance and oversight while helping ensure the school has the resources to serve today’s students and thrive for generations to come.
Tyler Duncan is President and CEO of Rusty’s Pizza Parlors, Inc., the longtime Santa Barbara family business where he grew up and is now a second-generation owner-operator. A technologist, restaurateur, real estate developer, and investor, Tyler has led the renovation and expansion of the company’s restaurant portfolio, refreshing half of its locations while preserving the character of the Rusty’s brand.
Tyler earned a B.S. from the USC Marshall School of Business and worked as a technology analyst at Paramount Pictures before returning to Santa Barbara in 2000. He also serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations. Tyler and his wife, Whitney, have two children.
Carter Thicke ’15 returns to Laguna in a new role as both an alumnus and trustee. Carter is a Vice President and Client Advisor at Whittier Trust’s West Los Angeles office, where he advises high-net-worth individuals and families on investment management, estate planning, privately held businesses, alternative assets, and liquidity strategies.
After graduating from Laguna, Carter earned a B.A. in International Business and Finance from USC and is currently pursuing his MBA at the USC Marshall School of Business. He also holds the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor (CTFA) designation.
Carter is active in a number of civic and nonprofit organizations and serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for Woodcraft Rangers, a nonprofit provider of after-school programs in Los Angeles County. He is also involved with the Santa Barbara Polo Club, Pacific Council on International Policy, Stand Together Ventures, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara. Outside of work and service, he enjoys ice hockey, golf, and polo.
Henning Thorsen is an executive and advisor in the biopharmaceutical industry and currently serves as Head of Commercial Operations at ArriVent BioPharma. Throughout his career, he has worked in drug development across oncology, cardiometabolic, and neurological disease areas and has served on a variety of boards while advising companies in the biopharma field.
A 1991 graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a B.A. in Political Science, Henning remains actively connected to the university. He supports the UCSB Department of Bioengineering and other university initiatives through speaking engagements and mentorship.
ABOUT LAGUNA BLANCA SCHOOL
Laguna Blanca School is an independent, coeducational day school serving students in Early Kindergarten through Grade 12, committed to academic excellence, innovation, and meaningful real-world learning. Grades Early Kindergarten through Gr. 4: 260 San Ysidro Rd., Montecito; Grades 5 through 12: 4125 Paloma Dr., Santa Barbara, 805-687-2461, lagunablanca.org.
