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Goleta, Calif., October 23, 2025 — Jackie Carrera, President and CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation, and Ashley Costa, Executive Director of the Lompoc Valley Community Healthcare Organization, will be honored at the 2026 LEAP Awards, alongside Das Williams, who will be recognized as Distinguished Alumnus.
The 2026 LEAP Awards will be a milestone celebration of LEAP’s 55th anniversary as a nonprofit and 50 years of its Children’s Center. For the first time in six years, the event will be held in person at the stunning Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort on Saturday, February 28, 2026. The brunch will bring together community leaders, philanthropists, and partners who believe in creating thriving futures for children and families.
“As we celebrate 55 years of service, we are honored to recognize Jackie Carrera, Ashley Costa, and LEAP alumnus Das Williams. Each, in their own way, has strengthened families, lifted voices, and inspired children to shine. Their leadership reflects the very heart of LEAP’s mission, and we are proud to celebrate them alongside our community,” said Lori Goodman, LEAP CEO.
Tickets and tables are on sale now and may be purchased online at: leapcentralcoast.org/2026-LEAP-Awards
“I am profoundly honored by this recognition from LEAP, an organization that I respect tremendously,” said Carrera. “LEAP is a beacon for the communities it serves, providing children and families with the stability and continuity needed to ensure they are strong and resilient.”
“I’ve tried to support LEAP’s work with children 0–5 in Lompoc however I can, so to now be recognized by an organization and leader I deeply admire—and to be included among such a respected group of honorees—is truly humbling. I am sincerely thankful,” said Costa.
Proceeds from the LEAP Awards will directly support community services, including:
• Early Education Programs and Children’s Centers
• Family Resource Center
• Diaper Bank, providing essential supplies to families in need
“I am deeply honored to receive this Distinguished Alumni award from LEAP. Back in 1984, what was then called Isla Vista Youth Projects was truly visionary – simply providing a safe afterschool space where kids (of 10 different races and ethnicities in my class) could come together and just be kids,” said Williams. “As someone who later faced housing instability as a teenager, I understand how crucial that kind of supportive environment is for kids and how crucial these resources are for families.”
Individuals and organizations interested in sponsoring the 2026 LEAP Awards may reach out to Kara Shoemaker, Director of Development at LEAP, at Karas@leapcentralcoast.org.
Jackie Carrera
Jackie Carrera serves as President & CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF), the California Central Coast’s oldest and largest community foundation. Founded in 1928, the Foundation envisions a thriving community for all and works to mobilize philanthropic capital and collective wisdom to build empathetic, inclusive and resilient communities. Since joining the Santa Barbra Foundation in 2018, Jackie has led the Foundation’s efforts to refine its strategy, develop financial and human resources, drive new revenue opportunities, refine the business model, further develop the donor base and endowment, and increase impact. During her tenure, the Foundation’s assets grew from $500M to $900M with $51M in grants made in 2024.
Jackie has over 36 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Prior to her work in Santa Barbara, she served for nearly 22 years as the President & CEO of the Parks & People Foundation in Maryland. While there, the organization became a national leader in issues related to urban parks, youth development, and the environment. She is a licensed consultant in nonprofit management and has a BBA in Finance from Loyola University in Maryland and Certificate on Nonprofit Management from University of Wisconsin Extension. Jackie has been named one of the Central Coast’s 50 Most Influential People in the Region by the Pacific Coast Business Times annually from 2021 to 2025.
Ashley Costa
Ashley Costa is a proud third-generation native of the Lompoc Valley. After graduating from Lompoc schools, she earned a degree in Political Science with a minor in Portuguese from UCLA, graduating Cum Laude. Committed to public service, Ashley made history at just 22 years old as the youngest person ever elected to the Lompoc City Council. During her four-year term in office, she served on the Board of the Air Pollution Control District and CommUnify (formerly CAC).
While serving on the City Council, Ashley volunteered on the Healthy Lompoc Coalition, reinforcing her passion for community well-being. This work inspired her to join the Lompoc Valley Community Healthcare Organization (LVCHO) as Director of Community Health. Now, as Executive Director for over a decade, she has led initiatives that promote health, wellness, and equity in the region. One of her most impactful projects was co-chairing the multi-year campaign to renovate the Lompoc Community Track and Field at Huyck Stadium. With her leadership, the campaign raised $1.7 million —the largest private contribution in Lompoc Unified School District’s history. The newly upgraded facility now serves as a state-of-the-art space for students and the public to exercise and recreate.
Ashley is passionate about her beautiful home of Lompoc and a trusted leader in the community. She is deeply committed to strengthening community resilience, addressing the social determinants of health, advancing health equity, and encouraging civic participation. Believing in the power of continual growth, she is currently pursuing a law degree at the Colleges of Law to further her ability to serve and advocate for her community. She finds great joy in giving back to her hometown and is especially grateful to be raising her three-year-old daughter Olive alongside her husband, Jimmy.
Das Williams
Das Williams has served in public office for two decades, first on the Santa Barbara City Council (2003-2010), in the California State Assembly (2010-2016), and as Santa Barbara County Supervisor for the First District (2016-2024). Today, he serves as Senior Advisor for Policy and Legislative Affairs for Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), working to provide 100% clean energy to 1.2 million people across 5 counties and 34 cities—10 to 15 years ahead of California’s timeline—to give our children a cleaner and healthier planet.
Growing up in Santa Barbara, splitting time between his parents in Ojai and Isla Vista, life circumstances caused Das to drop out of Dos Pueblos High School and live in a van as a teenager. Das found his way back through education at Santa Barbara City College, where he discovered his life’s calling under Dr. Manoutchehr Eskandari-Qajar: to be “a voice for the voiceless.” This mission took him to South Africa to work for Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress during the country’s first democratic election in 1994. After earning a degree from UC Berkeley, Das returned to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB’s Bren School and began his career in public service.
As a State Assemblymember and Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, Das authored bills that expanded access to California’s public universities and colleges. Following the tragic Isla Vista mass shooting, he passed landmark gun safety legislation and organized gun buy-back events to remove dangerous guns from our neighborhoods. As a County Supervisor, he helped secure more funding for infant childcare and expanded after school programs for working families. Understanding that stable housing provides the foundation children need to succeed, Das authored local laws strengthening renters’ rights, created emergency assistance programs to prevent family evictions, and supported affordable and rental housing projects that working families desperately need.
Today, Das lives in Carpinteria with his wife Jonnie, and is a proud Das to their two daughters, Ya’Ash and Khaya.
About LEAP
LEAP: Learn. Engage. Advocate. Partner. mitigates the effects of poverty, racism, and trauma by providing high-quality, trauma-informed child care, comprehensive, culturally sensitive family support, and visionary community leadership.
We envision a community where children are loved, valued, and respected and families are supported to reach their highest potential. For more information, visit http://www.leapcentralcoast.org
