Jackie Carrera
https://sbfoundation.org
Award Sponsor: Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf
Jackie Carrera serves as president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Central Coast’s oldest and largest community foundation.
Since joining the Santa Barbra Foundation in 2018, Jackie has led the Foundation’s efforts to refine its business strategy, drive new revenue opportunities, develop financial and human resources, and further develop the donor base and endowment. Since 2018, the organization’s assets have grown by $362 million to approximately $862 million.
Jackie was a key leader of the region’s COVID 19 Joint Response Effort and Funders’ Collaborative, which mobilized nearly $40 million to help communities through the pandemic. Most recently, she led the production of a report on Philanthropic Opportunities in Housing Affordability and created an Impact Investing Program to facilitate philanthropic investment in local projects. Recently, she led the development of the Foundation’s new five-year strategic plan, which will culminate in 2028, the Foundation’s 100th year of service.
Jackie has more than 34 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 and CEO of the Parks & People Foundation in Maryland. While there, the organization became a national leader in urban parks, ecosystem research and education, watershed restoration, job training, workforce development, and innovative programming for youth.
A licensed consultant in nonprofit management with the Standards for Excellence Institute, Jackie received her bachelor’s degree in finance from Loyola University in Maryland and a certificate in nonprofit management from University of Wisconsin Extension. She has been named to the Pacific Coast Business Times’ “Most Influential People in the Region” list the last four years.