Press Release: Goleta’s Finest 2025 Award Recipients Announced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASENovember 3, 2025
Goleta’s Finest 2025 Award Recipients Announced
75th Annual Community Awards Gala to be Held on December 5 at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara
The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the 2025 Goleta’s Finest Award Recipients. Goleta’s Finest celebrates 75 years of honoring extraordinary individuals who have significantly contributed to the Goleta community.
“For 75 years, Goleta’s Finest has celebrated the people who make this community special. Those whose generosity, courage, and creativity strengthen the heart of Goleta,” said Kristen Miller, President & CEO of the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce. “This year’s honorees reflect the very best of who we are; neighbors who give selflessly, people who lead with vision and remind us that community is built through compassion and service. We are proud to honor their legacies and the light they bring to the Goleta Valley.”
The 2025 honorees will be recognized at a formal celebration on December 5, from 5:30 to 9:00 PM at the elegant Ritz-Carlton Bacara. The evening will feature dinner followed by an awards ceremony, a perfect occasion to commemorate these distinguished community members.
The 2025 Goleta’s Finest Award Recipients are:
Man & Woman of the Year – Ron and Patricia Caird
Ron and Patricia Caird’s generosity, leadership, and lifelong dedication are quite literally rooted in the Goleta community. Their shared passion for giving back has been nurtured through every chapter of their lives—from supporting local nonprofits to mentoring future generations in agriculture and education.
A lifelong advocate for horticulture, Ron Caird followed in the footsteps of his father, a Scotsman who worked as a gardener in Hollywood. After studying Ornamental Horticulture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Ron returned to Santa Barbara and worked for Mistletoe Sales and Griffin Tree and Landscape before launching Por La Mar Nursery in 1973 with Patricia. What began as a few acres on Anderson Lane grew into one of the South Coast’s most respected horticultural enterprises.
Ron has long been a champion for local, urban agriculture. His influence includes serving as a trustee for Lotusland, and as a member of the California Ag Leadership Association, the Santa Barbara County Ag Advisory Committee, and the Cal Poly Plant Science Department Advisory Board. His many honors include the Young Nurseryman of the Year Award, Cal Poly Honored Alumni Award, and the Horticultural Industries Leadership Award. Motivated by his love of horticulture and his employees, Ron takes pride in mentoring the third generation now continuing the family business.
Patricia Caird followed in her mother’s path as a teacher at Isla Vista School before joining Ron in what began as his plant-growing hobby. Her vision and perseverance helped shape Por La Mar into a thriving business while earning her recognition as the first female Floral Marketer of the Year from the Fresh Produce Council. She was also a founding member of the Santa Barbara Chapter of California Women for Agriculture and has served on numerous boards, including the California Association of Nurserymen and the Fresh Floral and Produce Council. Her volunteerism extends to organizations such as DAWG and the Women’s Service Club of Goleta, where she helped restore the historic Stow House.
A former teacher and now a published author, Patricia’s recent book about her grandfather, Dr. William J. Mellinger, reflects her deep appreciation for history, family, and civic service—values that continue to guide her today.
Working as a team in nearly every aspect of life has been Ron and Patricia’s greatest strength. As they transition their business to their children and grandchildren, they remain active voices for balance, honoring the region’s agricultural roots while preparing for a sustainable future.
For more than five decades, the Cairds have nurtured far more than plants—they have cultivated opportunity, enriched local life, and embodied the spirit of Goleta’s finest.
Lifetime Achievement Award – Anant Yardi
Anant Yardi’s commitment to education and innovation, and his quiet generosity has strengthened the Goleta and Santa Barbara communities for decades.
Guided from childhood by a family deeply committed to public service, with his mother and aunts focused on health, education, and women’s rights, Anant has always believed that success carries an obligation to give back.
A respected philanthropist and visionary, Anant Yardi has devoted his career to expanding opportunities for others. His generosity can be seen in the Yardi Scholars programs he helped establish at 29 universities, including UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley, empowering students across engineering, computer science, and interdisciplinary fields. His thoughtful philanthropy reflects a belief that technology and education together can create lasting community resilience.
In Goleta, his influence is woven into the community’s fabric. After earning degrees from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and the University of California, Berkeley, Anant founded Yardi Systems in 1982, transforming a local startup into a global technology leader in real estate and property management. Yet even as the company expanded worldwide, Yardi remained steadfastly rooted in Goleta, choosing to build its headquarters campus in Old Town Goleta, revitalizing a once-blighted property into a thriving center of innovation and career opportunity.
Anant has been a pioneering champion of creative housing solutions. He was an early financial supporter of the Housing Trust Fund of Santa Barbara County and other local housing nonprofits, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to ensuring working families can remain in the community they serve. Today, that leadership continues through a bold housing vision for his company’s headquarters. Yardi has proposed transforming the site with a forward-thinking plan that embraces infill housing as a pathway to community stability, achievable with vision and determination.
Beyond investments and innovation, Anant has quietly supported countless local organizations, events, and causes, reflecting his belief in strengthening community from the inside out. He and his wife, Eileen, often express gratitude for the welcoming spirit that greeted them when they first arrived, and they have spent more than 50 years giving back to the community that embraced them.
Guided by humility, integrity, and vision, Anant Yardi has embodied what it means to lead with purpose. His business success has not only reshaped an industry but has empowered countless others – students, employees, and neighbors – to grow and give back in turn.
His legacy is one of innovation in service of community, the very essence of Goleta’s Finest.
Educator of the Year – Sarah Ashton
Sarah Ashton is a San Marcos High School alum whose 21-year teaching career has inspired generations of students and transformed health education in the Goleta Valley.
Rooted in her hometown, Sarah has dedicated her life to helping young people discover their potential, both inside and outside the classroom. Her mentorship in the Health Careers Academy has created meaningful pathways for students to explore careers in medicine, nursing, and allied health fields. Drawing from her Sports Medicine degree from UCLA and a Master’s in Education, she brings real-world expertise and a compassionate, hands-on approach that empowers students to see themselves as future healthcare professionals.
Beyond teaching, Sarah has enriched campus life through her commitment to athletics, coaching both football and girls’ golf and fostering confidence, teamwork, and perseverance in her athletes. Her passion for education extends to curriculum innovation, most notably elevating Medical Biology to Honors status, giving students well-earned recognition for their rigorous coursework.
Sarah’s students describe her as deeply dedicated, patient, and invested in every individual’s success. She continues to mentor alumni who now serve in hospitals, clinics, and research institutions across the country, a true reflection of her lasting influence.
With humility and heart, Sarah Ashton personifies the very best of Goleta’s educators, a teacher who turns curiosity into confidence and potential into purpose.
Education Impact Award – Dos Pueblos Mock Trial Team
The Dos Pueblos High School Mock Trial Team is honored for their outstanding academic achievement, commitment to excellence, and far-reaching impact on students and the broader Goleta community.
Most recently, the team made history by winning the Empire Philadelphia Constitutional Classic, a prestigious international mock trial competition that brought together thirty-six of the top programs from across the United States, Canada, and South Korea. Facing world-class competitors, including their final-round opponents from Lynbrook High School in San Jose, the Dos Pueblos prosecution team demonstrated exceptional skill, intellect, and composure, earning the title of champions, and bringing national recognition to their school and community.
Led by teacher advisor Hannah Krieshok and attorney coaches Lisa Rothstein, Christine Voss, and Lina Somait, the team’s success reflects countless hours of preparation, mentorship, and collaboration. Remarkably, this victory came after the graduation of six accomplished members, making the triumph of this new generation of students even more impressive. Through dedication and teamwork, they stepped into leadership roles and rose to the challenge with renewed determination and grace.
The impact of the Dos Pueblos Mock Trial program extends far beyond competition. Through experiential learning, students gain invaluable skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and ethical reasoning—tools that will serve them throughout their lives and careers. Alumni often credit the program with shaping their confidence, professionalism, and civic awareness.
Superintendent Hilda Maldonado described the team’s victory as a reflection of “how Dos Pueblos continues to find new ways to excel and inspire, year after year.”
For their academic excellence, devotion to learning, and leadership within the educational community, the Dos Pueblos Mock Trial team reflects the true spirit of the Goleta’s Finest Education Impact Award.
Student of the Year – Kennedy Fick
Kennedy Fick, a Junior from San Marcos High School, is honored for her courage, compassion, and influence in transforming personal experience into a powerful force for community good.
Kennedy’s journey is one of strength in the face of adversity. As a child navigating family instability and court-mandated therapy, she found support and healing that changed the trajectory of her life. Rather than allowing early hardship to define her, Kennedy has transformed her experience into a mission to lift others, proving that vulnerability can be a powerful form of leadership.
As CALM Santa Barbara’s first and only Teen Ambassador, Kennedy has spent the past two years championing mental health awareness and resilience among young people across Santa Barbara County. After receiving life-changing therapy services from CALM as a child, she has turned her own story into a message of hope, reminding others that pain doesn’t have to be permanent.
Through articles, speeches, and videos shared with students and community audiences, Kennedy’s voice has inspired countless individuals to seek support, show compassion, and break the stigma surrounding mental health challenges and treatment. Her message will take center stage at CALM’s upcoming annual fundraiser this November, amplifying the voices of youth who too often go unheard.
On campus, Kennedy leads by example. She has served as AAPLE Academy President for three years, chairs the CyberTutorials program tutoring first-grade students, and helps coordinate mental-health initiatives, including a children’s wellness festival at Hollister Elementary. She also teaches youth dance classes and supports student emotional wellness through peer-to-peer outreach, creating spaces where young people feel seen and supported.
With maturity beyond her years, Kennedy Fick embodies the spirit of Goleta’s Finest – courageous, kindhearted, and deeply committed to making her community stronger, one voice at a time.
Student Leader of the Year – Reese Large
Reese Large, a Senior from San Marcos High School, is honored for her exceptional leadership, academic excellence, and investment to making a difference in her community.
Reese stands out not only for her remarkable achievements in the classroom but for the meaningful ways she uses her talents to uplift others. A natural leader with a passion for service, she has dedicated countless hours to creating programs that connect students, strengthen communities, and inspire compassion among her peers.
In junior high, Reese founded Real Life, a mission-driven apparel company supporting nonprofit causes. As she advanced through high school, she transformed that vision into Real Life Mentors, an innovative program that brings nonprofit leaders directly into elementary schools, introducing young students to new ideas, experiences, and possibilities. Through this work, Reese has shown that leadership means creating pathways for others to grow and dream.
Academically, Reese exemplifies excellence, maintaining a 4.8 GPA, recognized as an AP Scholar with Honors, and holds membership in Phi Theta Kappa and the National Honor Society. Her selection into the highly competitive AAPLE (Accelerated Academic Program for Leadership and Excellence), one of only thirty-three students chosen from more than two hundred applicants, reflects her passion to both scholarship and service.
With intelligence, empathy, and purpose well beyond her years, Reese Large represents the next generation of community leaders through vision, compassion, and determination to make a lasting impact.
Non-Profit of the Year – The Friendship Paddle & Keiki Paddle
The Friendship Paddle and Keiki Paddle are two remarkable community movements that embody a spirit of compassion, courage, and collective care.
What began in 2003 as a circle of friends rallying around Doug McFadden, who was battling an inoperable brain tumor, has grown into a powerful tradition of hope. More than two decades later, the Friendship Paddle has supported over twenty individuals and their families through life-threatening illnesses, raising millions of dollars and touching countless lives. Each year, more than 150 paddlers and 1,500 donors come together to wrap their arms – metaphorically and literally – around an honoree, providing emotional, physical, and financial support during their most challenging times.
Every dollar raised goes directly to the year’s honoree, offering unrestricted aid that helps offset medical expenses, lost income, and personal hardship. But beyond financial relief, the deeper gift is connection: a reminder that no one faces their battle alone. Many honorees not only outlive their prognoses but return to the water as paddlers themselves, proof to the healing power of community.
In 2008, that same spirit inspired the creation of the Keiki Paddle, a youth-led companion event where kids ages 7 to 18 paddle across the Santa Barbara Channel to raise funds and awareness for local children facing critical illness. Guided by volunteer captains, safety teams, and families, these young paddlers learn teamwork, empathy, and the joy of giving back, proving that compassion has no age limit.
Together, The Friendship Paddle and Keiki Paddle demonstrate how the ocean can unite a community in purpose and love. Their legacy of service continues to ripple across generations, reminding us all that friendship truly is the most powerful force of all.
Health Impact Award – Arie DeJong
Arie DeJong is recognized for his vision, commitment to community well-being, and transformative role in advancing healthcare access on the South Coast.
As Vice President of Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital, and Therapy Services, Arie DeJong has been instrumental in expanding and modernizing the healthcare infrastructure that serves Santa Barbara County. His focus has always remained clear: creating exceptional, patient-centered facilities that bring hope, healing, and innovation to the Goleta community.
Under his guidance, Cottage Health undertook a major capital expansion, including the new Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital building, which doubled the hospital’s size and significantly broadened emergency and therapy services. Most recently, DeJong has overseen the planning and transition of Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital to the Goleta campus, a project that will provide state-of-the-art rehabilitation spaces, advanced therapy technologies, and expanded patient amenities designed to promote recovery and dignity.
Beyond facility growth, DeJong’s true impact lies in how these projects elevate the community’s health. He has championed partnerships that improve accessibility to care across the Central Coast and has led efforts to expand rehabilitation and therapy programs that restore independence and quality of life for patients and families alike.
A healthcare executive with more than two decades of experience, DeJong combines operational excellence with genuine compassion. His leadership exemplifies the best of Goleta’s collaborative spirit, bridging innovation, patient care, and community partnership.
Through his dedication, Arie DeJong has helped shape a healthier, stronger Goleta, ensuring that world-class medical care remains close to home for generations to come.
Volunteer of the Year – Jeff Zamora
Jeff Zamora is a lifelong Goleta resident whose compassion, leadership, and service have touched every corner of this community.
Born and raised in Goleta, Jeff grew up surrounded by the spirit of giving. His parents modeled community involvement through volunteering at local schools, sports programs, and church, instilling in him a belief that service is both a responsibility and a privilege. Today, Jeff continues that legacy, dedicating his time and energy to dozens of local causes including the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, United Boys and Girls Clubs, Girls Inc., Unity Shoppe, the Santa Barbara Zoo, and the Goleta Lemon Festival. He also gives back through Cox Charities, where he has served on the advisory council for more than a decade, leading by example, encouraging his colleagues to volunteer alongside him.
Jeff’s greatest inspiration, however, comes from a deeply personal place. After losing his young son, Jeffrey, to pediatric cancer, Jeff and his wife Erika channeled their heartbreak into nearly two decades of support for the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation. Through fundraising, mentoring, and hands-on volunteer work, they continue to honor their son’s memory by bringing comfort and hope to families navigating similar challenges.
Whether coaching youth basketball at Dos Pueblos High School, volunteering at community events, or quietly lending a helping hand where it’s needed most, Jeff embodies the true heart of Goleta – service, resilience, and compassion in action.
Jeff Zamora reminds us that the most powerful way to give back is to lead with love, and his impact continues to inspire an entire community.
Non-Profit Leader of the Year – Ernesto Paredes
Raised off Patterson Avenue, Ernesto Paredes found his sense of belonging early through the Goleta Boys Club, a place that helped him build confidence, connection, and purpose. Those early experiences inspired a lifetime of giving back, fueled by gratitude and a belief that every act of service can change a life.
For more than 35 years, Ernesto has dedicated his career to the nonprofit sector, leading with compassion, humility, and vision. As Executive Director of Easy Lift Transportation for over two decades, he transformed the organization into a statewide model of excellence, providing essential mobility and dignity for thousands of residents. His leadership helped Easy Lift earn recognition as California’s Transit of the Year, evidence to both his operational skill and his human touch.
Affectionately known as the “Mayor of Nonprofits,” Ernesto’s impact extends far beyond a single organization. He has served on dozens of boards, including Cottage Health, the Santa Barbara Foundation, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the Towbes Foundation, and the Grace Fisher Foundation, always bringing energy, insight, and collaboration to every cause he touches.
A tireless advocate, Ironman athlete, mentor, and friend, Ernesto leads with heart, humor, and humility. His life reflects the very best of Goleta’s values—community, service, and love in action.
We invite you to join us for this inspiring evening honoring Goleta’s Finest. Tickets are available for $175 per person, with advance purchase required at SBSCChamber.com. For event inquiries, please contact Camden Gustason, Events Manager at Camden@sbscchamber.com.
The 2025 Goleta’s Finest Community Awards Gala is proudly presented by the Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce.
Thank You to our Presenting Sponsors: American Riviera Bank, Community West Bank, Cottage Health, Cox Communications, ExxonMobil, Fauver Large Archbald & Spray LLP, The Ritz-Carlton Bacara, Sable Offshore, Santa Barbara Foundation, and UCLA Health.
We also extend our gratitude to our Silver Sponsors: Atlantic Aviation, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, Chevron, Cottage Health, Courtyard by Marriott Santa Barbara Goleta, Edhat, Google, Leonardo DRS, MarBorg Industries, Nicholson & Schwartz, Noozhawk, Residence Inn by Marriott Santa Barbara Goleta, Santa Barbara Airport, Signature Aviation, Solomon Hills, Southwest Airlines, Teledyne FLIR, The Towbes Group, UC Santa Barbara, and Workzones.
Sponsorship Opportunities are still available. For inquiries, please contact Michele Schneider, Director of Business Development, at Michele@sbscchamber.com or (805) 965-3023.
About Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce
The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce, from Goleta to Carpinteria, is a regional business organization with the mission to help South Coast businesses, residents, and visitors thrive. Through leadership and collaboration, the Chamber is the principal economic development entity advocating for the business community. We engage with businesses, elected officials, and regional partners in proactive business initiatives that foster the South Coast’s unique business environment and create opportunities for our communities. The Chamber is proud to represent local business members who create 75,000 jobs on the South Coast! To learn more, visit sbscchamber.com or follow @SBSouthCoastChamber on Facebook and Instagram, and @SBSCChamber on Twitter.
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