Central Coast Pulse

Lori Murray, Senior Vice President and Residential Lending Manager at American Riviera Bank, discusses the workforce housing situation on the Central Coast with Jon Standring of the Coastal Housing Coalition, including the "Missing Middle," accessory dwelling units (ADU), and the roadblocks they are facing.

As president at Beachside Partners, Jon Standring focuses on acquisitions, development and disposition of commercial and residential real estate throughout the South Coast.  Since 2008, he has successfully negotiated and closed hundreds of real estate transactions and completed more than $300 million in real estate sales throughout California over the last decade.  Jon is an active member in the Santa Barbara community, currently serving as President of the Santa Barbara Young Professionals Club Foundation and President for the Coastal Housing Coalition.

In the second episode of this two-part series, Michelle Martinich, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at American Riviera Bank continues the conversation of how individuals and businesses can make small changes for big impacts on the Central Coast. She is joined by Joe Campanelli of Campanelli & Associates Corporation and Dennis Allen of Allen Construction.

Joe Campanelli has been a member of the Santa Barbara Contractors Association since 1974. He received the California Energy Commission’s “Flex Your Power Award” from Governor Schwarzenegger and was awarded the Builder of the Year “Members Choice Award” for best Santa Barbara Contractor in 2008. He is a founding member of the Santa Barbara Green Building Alliance and helped to create the “Built Green” checklist for home owners and the city.

Dennis Allen has served as a consultant on the County of Santa Barbara’s Smart Build Santa Barbara Committee for the past 14 years, encouraging energy efficiency and sustainable practices in building projects within the County. Allen Construction is a general contracting firm, specializing in environmentally friendly, custom residential and commercial building. Dennis also serves as Chair of the Bren Graduate School Dean’s Council at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he is heavily involved in efforts to infuse sustainability into graduate curriculum and campus buildings.

In the first episode of this two-part series, Michelle Martinich, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at American Riviera Bank, sits down with Joe Campanelli of Campanelli & Associates Corporation to discuss how individuals and businesses can make small changes for big impacts on the Central Coast. 

Joe Campanelli has been a member of the Santa Barbara Contractors Association since 1974. He received the California Energy Commission’s “Flex Your Power Award” from Governor Schwarzenegger and was awarded the Builder of the Year “Members Choice Award” for best Santa Barbara Contractor in 2008. He is a founding member of the Santa Barbara Green Building Alliance and helped to create the “Built Green” checklist for home owners and the city.

Laurel Sykes, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at American Riviera Bank, continues her discussion with Vicki Johnson, Deputy District Attorney from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's office in part two of the series recorded as part of American Riviera Bank's National Elder Abuse Awareness month efforts. Episode Two focuses on chronic victimization and methods of intervention, and includes a personal testimony by Sandra Gallo, Senior Product Manager for the Bank, who recently had the misfortune of watching a loved one suffer the consequences of fraud.

Laurel Sykes, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at American Riviera Bank, talks with Vicki Johnson, Deputy District Attorney from the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's office as part of a two part series for National Elder Abuse Awareness month. Episode One focuses on highlighting scams as well as how and where to report scams.

Laurel Sykes, Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer of American Riviera Bank, sits down with Rick Boller of the Santa Barbara Bowl to discuss the how the Bowl has made use of the unexpected time off to accelerate its improvements and enhance its support of youth performing arts, as well as what's in store as the Bowl reopens this summer.

The Santa Barbara Bowl is a 4,562-seat amphitheater, located in Santa Barbara, California. The Bowl is normally open for concerts from approximately April through October with an average of about 27 concerts per season. Since 1991, the Santa Barbara Bowl has been managed by the not-for-profit Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. Rick Boller has been Executive Director of the Bowl for over 10 years but has been with the Bowl in a variety of capacities for over 20 years.

Laurel Sykes, Executive Vice President, Compliance and Risk Manager at American Riviera Bank, continues our two-part series on financial literacy with special guests Robb Schiff, longtime educator and AVID Coordinator with the Santa Barbara Unified School District, Chelsea Duffy, Executive Director at Partners in Education, and Melinda Cabrera, Director of Strategic Partnerships at United Way of Santa Barbara. In this episode, the panel discusses financial literacy on the Central Coast, including how we should be shifting our methodologies and programs to fit the current environment in our efforts to reach an ever-expanding need.

Laurel Sykes, Executive Vice President, Compliance and Risk Manager at American Riviera Bank, facilitates a two-part series on financial literacy with special guests Robb Schiff, longtime educator and AVID Coordinator with the Santa Barbara Unified School District, Chelsea Duffy, Executive Director at Partners in Education, and Melinda Cabrera, Director of Strategic Partnerships at United Way of Santa Barbara. In this episode, the panel explores the learning challenges faced by students on the Central Coast during the pandemic, as well as the resulting short- and long-term impacts they are seeing.

Jeff Devine, President and CEO of American Riviera Bank, sits down with David Asbell and Brandon Mowery of Santa Barbara's Lobero Theatre to discuss the historic theatre and the what the future may look like as things begin to open up both locally and globally.

The mission of the Lobero Theatre Foundation is to maintain and operate the historic Lobero Theatre as a performing arts center and cultural asset to the community of Santa Barbara, and to present the highest quality productions in music, dance, and theatre.  David Asbell has been at the helm of the Lobero Theatre Foundation as Executive Director for over 20 years.  Brandon Mowery serves as Director of Development where he plays a key role in establishing innovative fundraising ideas and growing the donor base in an effort to fulfill the philanthropic goals of the Foundation.

Michelle Martinich, Chief Financial Officer, sits down with Nancy Martz, Executive Director of Apples to Zucchini Cooking School, to learn about her nonprofit initiative to tackle hunger on the Central Coast one child at a time, by providing the tools kids need to prepare delicious, nutritious, affordable meals made from real food for their families. Whether teaching at an after-school program, a treatment home for youth-in-transition, or a backyard birthday party, the Apples to Zucchini Cooking School philosophy is the same: Cook together, eat together and clean up together.

Nancy Martz has been involved with non-profits for almost 20 years, helping start three non-profits, sitting on several boards, and volunteering much of her time for causes that matter to her.