Bobbi Abram has been named the new CEO of the SBCC Foundation.
Abram, who starts her new job on May 1, has spent most of her career as a leader in nonprofit and higher education fundraising and administration, and has served as executive director of the Pasadena City College (PCC) Foundation since 2012.
“Santa Barbara City College Foundation is known as a leader among community college foundations across the country, and it is an honor and a privilege to be chosen to serve as its chief executive officer,” Abram said.
“This is an exciting time to be joining the Foundation, with its 50th anniversary on the horizon and the groundbreaking SBCC Promise serving over 1,600 students this semester,” she said. “I look forward to representing the Foundation and being involved in the community.”
At the start of her career in higher education advancement, Abram served as executive director of the foundation at the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law, and later as manager of Alumni Relations and Development for Johnson County Community College.
She served in leadership positions at community colleges and nonprofits before moving to California to lead the PCC Foundation at a time when funding for community colleges was declining.
Abram was featured in the Oct. 18, 2012 edition of the Los Angeles Times as doing the “unthinkable” — developing a fund to support high-demand classes that were at risk of being cancelled due to the shrinkage in state funding.
Abram led the PCC Foundation in a successful major strategic planning effort. With her oversight, the PCC Foundation completed the college’s first comprehensive major gifts campaign, which raised more than $16 million, surpassing its goal of $10 million-$12 million, for scholarships, arts, athletics, and career education. She led a subsequent campaign to raise $4 million for Advancing Science that reached its goal.
“Bobbi has demonstrated a sustained passion for expanding educational opportunities and an impressive expertise in community college foundation leadership,” said Madeleine Jacobson, SBCC Foundation Board president.
“We are thrilled to have her join the foundation and the Santa Barbara community,” Jacobson said. “With Bobbi as CEO, we will ensure our community’s support for SBCC remains strong, and that the generosity of our partners and donors continues to empower students to succeed.”