The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Dean Noble as the museum’s new executive director. Noble succeeds Greg Gorga, who is stepping down after 19 years with the organization.

Dean Noble is the new executive director of Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. Credit: Contributed photo

Noble will guide SBMM into its next chapter, building on the museum’s longstanding mission of creating excellent exhibits and educational experiences that celebrate the Santa Barbara Channel and illuminate our rich connections with the sea.

Noble brings deep local nonprofit leadership experience, a strong record of community engagement, and a proven ability to build partnerships and advance mission-driven growth. He currently serves as executive director of the Elings Park Foundation, where he helped lead a record $11 million capital campaign, supporting major improvements and restoration efforts at the park. Prior to Elings Park, Noble spent more than a decade at the Santa Barbara Zoo as vice president of strategic engagement, overseeing cross-division initiatives to elevate mission awareness, grow attendance, expand events and outreach, and strengthen stakeholder relevance. He has also produced mission-driven media programming, including “Zoological Radio” in partnership with KCLU, and brings earlier experience in marketing and public relations with Universal Studios and brand agencies.

“Dean is an accomplished leader who understands how to connect community, culture, education, and the environment through compelling experiences,” said SBMM Board President Alex Weinstein, M.D. “The Board is confident he will help SBMM continue to thrive on the waterfront — expanding our impact, strengthening relationships, and supporting the next generation of ocean-minded learners.”

Weinstein also expressed deep gratitude for outgoing Executive Director Greg Gorga’s nearly two decades of leadership. During his 19-year tenure, Gorga helped shape SBMM’s reputation as a beloved community treasure and a hub for maritime learning — supporting the museum’s growth in exhibitions, educational programming, and community partnerships, and helping anchor SBMM as a vibrant touchstone along the Santa Barbara waterfront.

“Greg’s leadership has been extraordinary,” Weinstein added. “He has stewarded SBMM with dedication and vision, and his impact will be felt for years to come. We are sincerely grateful for his service and the strong foundation he leaves for the museum’s future.”

Noble shared his enthusiasm for the role and the museum’s mission-driven work: “SBMM is a special place — rooted in local history, powered by education, and connected to one of the most remarkable marine environments in the world,” said Noble. “I’m honored to join the team and excited to help lead the museum into its next chapter, strengthening its role as a community hub and advancing experiences that inspire stewardship of the Santa Barbara Channel.”

Gorga also reflected on his time at the museum and the transition ahead: “It has been a privilege to serve SBMM and this community,” said Gorga. “I’m proud of what the museum has become, and I’m confident Dean’s leadership and community-focused approach will help SBMM continue to grow and thrive.”

During Greg Gorga’s 19-year tenure, SBMM strengthened its long-term foundation and expanded its public impact in meaningful ways. Most notably, Gorga helped secure the museum’s sustainability by successfully buying out SBMM’s lease, ensuring a lasting home on the Santa Barbara Harbor. He also played a key role in helping the Coast Guard select SBMM as the Point Conception First-Order Fresnel Lens’s new home and in raising the funds needed to bring the lens to the museum—a $400,000 landmark project that has become a signature centerpiece and major public draw.

Under his leadership, SBMM continued to grow its programming and community engagement, including sustaining and expanding the Maritime Distinguished Speaker Series and advancing the museum’s professional standing, culminating in SBMM’s American Alliance of Museums accreditation in 2021.

About the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
Founded in 2000, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum presents and interprets the rich maritime history of the Santa Barbara Channel. Through interactive exhibits, educational programs, and hands-on activities, SBMM inspires a deeper understanding and love of the sea, the land, and the people of this region.