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Community Awards & Recognition

Pearl Chase Historic Preservation and Conservation Award

Each year the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation seeks to present the Pearl Chase Historic Preservation and Conservation Award to a deserving community member or organization dedicated to the values that Dr. Chase stood for in the fields of historic preservation and conservation. This annual lifetime achievement award serves as a tribute to the life and work of Pearl Chase, the famous leader of community activism and preservation in Santa Barbara, and to the work that continues today as a result of the inspiration she provided.

Pearl Chase Historic Preservation and Conservation Awardees

 

1989   *Irene Suski Fendon 
1990   *Robert O. Easton 
1991   Mary Louise Days 
1992   *Jean Storke Menzies 
1993   *Ray Strong
1994   *Joyce Parkinson 
1995   *James G. Mills, Pharm.D.
1996   *David Gebhard
1997   *Sue Higman
1998   *George and Vivian Obern
1999   *Elizabeth Erro Hvolboll
2000   *Jeremy D. Hass
2001   *Helen Schott Pedotti
2002   David H. Anderson
2003   City of Santa Barbara Redevelopment Agency
2004   *Louise Boucher
2006   *Maria Herold
2008   Milford Wayne Donaldson
2009   Glenn Price
2010   *Kellam de Forest
2011   *Francisc
o González
2012   Kathi Brewster
2013   Old Mission Santa Inés

2014   *Timothy Aguilar

2015   *Donald G. Sharpe

2018   Hutton Parker Foundation

2019   Judith Dodge Orias

2022   *M. Kay Van Horn  

2023   *Elvira Tafoya

2024   Pam Post & Tim Hazeltine

George & Vivian Obern Preservation Stewardship Award

The George and Vivian Obern Preservation Stewardship Award recognizes individuals or organizations that demonstrate outstanding preservation work in connection with a specific project in and around Santa Barbara County. This prestigious award was named in honor of George and Vivian Obern in 2006 for their lifelong preservation work, including their successful efforts to save the Thomas Hope House (built 1875, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978), condemned by the county of Santa Barbara but saved by the Oberns.

George and Vivian Obern Preservation Stewardship Awardees

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2002   Santa Barbara Foundation
2003   Palmer G. Jackson
2003   Nancy Luton Jackson
2004   Alan Eliot
2006   Santa Ynez Valley High School Environmental and Spatial Technologies Class
2006   Casa del Herrero Foundation
2007   Goleta Valley Historical Society
2007   Derek Westen
2008   The Jimmy Chung Family
2009   Channel Coast Corporation
2010   Santa Barbara Contractors Association and Built Green Santa Barbara
2011   City of Solvang
2012   La Huerta Project
2013   Historic Resources Element Task Force, City of Santa Barbara

2014   Santa Barbara Courthouse Legacy Foundation

2015   Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

2016   Katie and David Hay

2017   Santa Barbara Conservancy

2019   *Robert Harry Lovejoy

2022   City of Santa Barbara Department of Parks & Recreation for the restoration of the Cabrillo Pavilion

2023   Main-Begg Farmhouse

2024   Manuel Unzueta

Sue Higman Volunteer of the Year Award

This award is given to an individual or individuals who have made outstanding contributions of their time to SBTHP over the course of a year. Established in 2010, the award is named in honor of longtime SBTHP supporter and friend, Sue Higman.

Sue Higman Volunteer of the Year Awardees

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2010   Anthony Spann and the Staff of  Harrison Design Associates
2011   Kathy Chalfant
2012   Terease Chin
2013   Katherine Lowe

2014   Jeannie Davis

2015   *"Buffalo" Joe Schomer

2016   David Bolton

2017   Suzi Calderon Bellman

2018   Terease Chin

2019   Kyle Slattery

2020   Valerie Roses

2022   Pam Iuliano

2023   Dr. Paul Mori

2024   Jeff Garfinkle

Partnership Award

Created in 2019, this award recognizes the value of partnership as adopted by SBTHP in 2018. The Partnership Award celebrates individuals or organizations who have participated in collaborative efforts that support SBTHP’s mission and made a significant impact toward that end. 

Partnership Awardees

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2019   Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara

2022   Mujeres Makers Market

2024   UCSB Interdisciplinary Humanities Center

President's Award

This award, chosen by the President of the Board, recognizes extraordinary contributions to the organization in the prior year.

President's Awardees

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2022   Cody A. Makela

2023   Salvador Güereña

Life Honorary Directors

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*Amelia Acres

Kathi Brewster

Dr. W. E. Brownlee
*Norman Caldwell

Terease Chin
Mary Louise Days
*Julia Forbes
*Roy Gaskin
Michael R. Hardwick
Barbara Harris
*Jeremy Hass
*Sue Higman
*Roge
r Horton
*Harold Kirker
*Garvan F. Kuskey, D.D.S.

Barbara S. Lindemann
Sheila Lodge 
*Richard Lugo
*William F. Luton, Sr.

Craig A. Makela
*Jean Storke Menzies
*James G. Mills, Pharm.D.
*Vivian Obern

Dr. Richard E. Oglesby
*Helen Schott Pedotti

John S. Poucher
*Russell A. Ruiz
*Alice Rypins
*James D. Scheinfeld
*Charles A. Storke
*Richard S. Whitehead

Life Honorary Members

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*Mike Acosta
Hon. Inocencio F. Arias
Kathy Chalfant
*Father Virgil Cordano 
*George “Bud” Decker
*Irene Suski Fendon
Hon. Eduardo Garriguess

Nicole Hernandez
*Jim Higman

Dr. Jarrell Jackman
Don Kinney
Harry and Ellen Knill

William LaVoie
Father Michael Mahoney
Jim Elwell Martinez

Luis Moreno
*Norman Neuerburg
*George Obern
Ignacio Piña
*Vince Pownall
Dan Preece 
Richard A. Rojas
Catherine Rudolph
Russell Clay Ruiz 
*Virginia Scott
Steven B. Treanor
Edward A. Williams II

*Deceased

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