Mission Scholars has named longtime Santa Barbara nonprofit and higher education leader Rachel Johnson as its new executive director, effective Oct. 26.
Johnson succeeds co-founder Cassie Lancaster, who is stepping down after seven and a half years leading the organization.
“Cassie laid an extraordinary foundation, and we are deeply grateful for her compassionate, trailblazing leadership and transformative impact,” said Chris Bruzzo, president of the Mission Scholars Board of Directors.
Johnson was selected following a five-month national search.
“Rachel is a dynamic, results-driven leader who embodies the spirit of our mission,” Bruzzo said. “She possesses the vision, energy and community trust needed to build on the strong foundation that has been established and help lead Mission Scholars into its next chapter.”
Mission Scholars was named 2025 Nonprofit of the Year by the Santa Barbara Young Professionals Club. Since its founding, the organization has helped more than 200 students gain acceptance to and graduate from four-year universities, working with more than 100 volunteers.
Last year, more than 90% of its graduating scholars enrolled in four-year universities, with scholarships covering 90% of their combined college costs and 75% finishing debt-free.
Johnson joins Mission Scholars after nearly nine years with the Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) Foundation, where she most recently served as chief program officer.
In that role, she provided strategic and operational leadership across the foundation’s major programs, including the SBCC Promise, scholarships, institutional grants and other restricted funds, overseeing some $7 million annually in support for students and college programs.
Johnson has led the SBCC Promise since 2021, guiding the program through a period of growth and developing its first sustainable funding plan.
Her work there has spanned major gifts, grants, donor engagement, strategic planning, financial strategy, staff development and board management, with a particular focus on expanding educational opportunity and equity initiatives.
“Throughout my career, access to higher education has been at the core of what drives me. There is nothing quite as impactful as supporting students and their families to envision a future they may not have imagined for themselves,” Johnson said.
“Mission Scholars has created something extraordinary in this community, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to build on that foundation, deepen our partnerships and support even more students as they pursue their higher education goals,” she said.
Before joining the SBCC Foundation, Johnson worked in development at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and taught art history at UCSB, Westmont College, CSU Long Beach, and Brooks Institute of Photography.
Her involvement in the local nonprofit community extends beyond her professional roles. She has served in board and volunteer leadership positions with The Fund for Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County Food Action Network, Leading From Within and TEDx SantaBarbara, among other organizations.
Johnson holds a master’s degree in art history from the University of Toronto and pursued doctoral studies in the History of Art and Architecture at UC Santa Barbara.
She has continued her professional development through nonprofit leadership programs, including Leading From Within’s Emerging Leaders and Growing Edge Leaders programs and Antioch’s Women in Leadership Program.
Mission Scholars is a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit that guides high-achieving, low-income, first-generation students through the college admissions process and beyond, providing no-cost college admissions counseling, test preparation, mentorship, financial aid guidance and career development.
Learn more at www.missionscholars.org.