Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara, Inc. (CAMA) has elected four new trustees to its Board of Directors, Laurel Abbott, Robert Castle, Patricia Kaplan, and Ben Pringle.
Abbott, born to a Navy aviation family in Pensacola, Florida, and raised in San Diego, pursued a degree in educational theater at New York University, and partnered with her mother in La Jolla real estate in 1999 upon returning to California.
She continued her career in real estate when she moved with her chef husband to Santa Barbar. Abbott said she was introduced to CAMA concerts through her in-laws and was impressed by the quality of performances the organization has been able to attract.
Her fascination with the power of music and her belief in the power of live performance led her to serve the Santa Barbara community through CAMA.
Castle has 35 years of experience managing information and telecommunications companies, and has been an entrepreneurial leader for young technology start-ups in Michigan, Southern California, and Boston.
A graduate in mathematics from the University of Michigan, Castle started his professional life teaching mathematics and computer science at the high school level. Subsequently, he built a business career in the computer industry, focusing on marketing and executive leadership.
Career opportunities took him from Ann Arbor, Michigan, to technology firms in Orange County, California, and Boston. Now retired, he recently moved to Montecito. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Santa Barbara Art Museum.
Experienced in real estate and community service, Kaplan held positions as a trustee for the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and president of Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Auxiliary.
She joined the CAMA Board in 1998, serving until 2006, and participated in various committees. Kaplan is a CAMA Mozart Society founding member.
In 2006, Kaplan moved to Chicago, obtained an Illinois real estate license, and became a Certified Negotiation Expert. She managed a 161-unit senior living community for five years, co-owned a veterinary medicine business, and transformed a radio station into a market leader.
Kaplan immersed herself in Chicago’s art scene, joining the Antiquarian Society at the Art Institute and the Art Club, and volunteered at Northwestern University Hospital.
Returning to Santa Barbara in 2022, she volunteered for the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital’s Spiritual Care team. She re-engaged with CAMA, attending events and supporting the Women’s Board activities, culminating in her election to the CAMA Board of Directors in February.
Pringle currently oversees the Trust Department at Northern Trust in Montecito. Recently relocated to Santa Barbara from Pasadena, California, he first came to Santa Barbara in 1996 to study musicology at UCSB.
After completing his master of arts in musicology, he moved to Los Angeles to play music professionally, and concurrently established a career in wealth management, earning the designations of Certified Financial Planner and Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor.
In January, Pringle provided the pre-concert lecture for CAMA’s presentation of the Chicago Symphony, as well as other video interview content for CAMA’s social media campaigns.
In addition to his volunteer work with CAMA, he serves on the Planned Giving Advisory Council for the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
Officers of the 2022-23 CAMA Board of Directors include Robert K. Montgomery, chair; Deborah Bertling, chair-elect; George Messerlian, vice chair; Christine Emmons, secretary; and Jan Bowlus, treasurer.
For more on CAMA, visit https://www.camasb.org/.