Children’s Museum of Santa Barbara Welcomes New Board Members

Several residents join the board of directors as the nonprofit plans a new 14,000-square-foot building.

By Sheila Cushman | Published on 10.20.2008

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Gordon Auchincloss, Dagny Dehlsen, Scott Hadley, Chris Kroes, Jill Levinson, Nancy Sheldon and Sergio Villa have been elected to serve on the board of directors for the Children’s Museum of Santa Barbara.

Auchincloss, of Santa Barbara, was recently re-elected to the board. He is a senior deputy district attorney for Santa Barbara County. He serves as a judge for Santa Barbara Teen Court and has been a volunteer mentor for at-risk youths for the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. He is a board member for the PARC Foundation and also serves on the Executive Board of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation.

New members include Dehlsen, of Montecito, who holds a master’s of education degree in policy studies in language and cross-cultural education as well as bilingual, cross-cultural, multiple subject and ESL credentials. She has taught bilingual classes in San Diego and Santa Barbara public schools and has served as an educational consultant to the Santa Barbara School District. Her two children attend Crane School.

Hadley, of Buellton, is managing partner of Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf LLP. Since 1997, he has led BPW’s Consulting Services Group, which has become nationally known for their expertise in core solutions for financial institutions. Scott is married and has three children.

Kroes, a 40-year resident of Santa Barbara, is an attorney and principal in the law firm of McCarthy and Kroes. He serves as vice president of Santa Barbara Catholic Charities, and has served on the boards of several other nonprofit organizations. He also sits on the board of directors of Monrovia Nursery Company and American Capital Group. He has served as the volunteer attorney coach of the Dos Pueblos High School Mock Trial team from 1988-98 and 2006 to present.

Levinson, of Montecito, is a native of Santa Barbara and the mother of three young children. After earning her bachelor of arts at Stanford University, with an emphasis in child behavior and development, she worked as a producer for film, television, and the internet, most notably with Lucasfilm, HBO, and her own production company, Big Fish Entertainment. She is an active community volunteer, serving as a trustee of Lotusland and the Granada’s Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts. 

Sheldon, of Santa Barbara, has an MBA from Harvard and worked in investment banking for 13 years with UBS in New York. She moved to Santa Barbara with her husband in 2001.  The mother of 3 children, Nancy is active in her children’s preschool and was head of the parent association, lead the search for a new preschool director, and chaired the auction for 3 years.  She is on the Board of Congregation B’nai B’rith as Preschool Trustee.  She also served on the Board of PEP as the Post Partum Depression Coordinator.

Villa, of Santa Barbara, was the first of his family to attend and graduate from a 4-year university, Sergio is working to attain an MBA and his Certification as a Financial Planner. Currently a Financial Consultant for Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, Sergio is actively involved in the community, including serving as Board President of the Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

The Children’s Museum Board of Directors is planning to build a 14,000-square-foot building on city-owned land at 125 State St., adjacent to the train depot. Designed by local architect Barry Berkus, the green building will feature 8,000 square feet of interactive educational exhibits, rooftop garden, classroom, art studio and a Museum Store filled with educational toys and books.

Children’s museums are dedicated to providing children with unique experiences designed to meet their specific physical, intellectual, emotional and developmental needs.

For more information about the Santa Barbara museum, click here or contact Executive Director Sheila Cushman at 805.680.7235 or sheila@childrensmuseumsb.org.

Sheila Cushman is executive director of the Children’s Museum of Santa Barbara.

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