Dorothy F. Largay and Marybeth Carty have been selected as the 83rd Persons of the Year for the Santa Barbara area. They will be honored for their longstanding commitment to volunteer leadership and community service at a luncheon on Wednesday, April 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort Rotunda.
Tickets and tables are on sale now and may be purchased online at SBFoundation.org/PYAwards.
“As the organizing sponsor of Person of the Year, the Santa Barbara Foundation is honored to host this celebration and recognize Dorothy and Marybeth for their remarkable service to our community,” said Jackie Carrera, President and CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation.
“Their leadership and dedication exemplify the spirit of giving that makes our community so special.”
The annual Person of the Year award program honors Santa Barbara-area individuals, couples, or families whose volunteer service represents a meaningful commitment to the community, addresses real community needs, enhances the quality of life in the Santa Barbara area, or has involved acts of generosity, kindness, or innovation.
The process to select the 83rd Persons of the Year began with open nominations from Jan. 6 to Feb. 18, 2026. Anyone in the community could nominate. Former recipients of the award reviewed the nominations and selected this year’s awardees.
Marybeth Carty
Marybeth Carty attended UC Santa Barbara and Antioch University, earning a BA in psychology. Born and raised in New Jersey, her father worked in law enforcement, while her mother was a nurse. Inspired by their example, Carty developed a lifelong commitment to service. She moved to Carpinteria in 1979 and became deeply connected to the community.
Since 2018, Carty has served as executive director of the Natalie Orfalea Foundation. Before that, she spent 15 years as Community Partnership Manager for Venoco, Inc., directing the company’s charitable giving and philanthropic outreach.
Carty has also served as a Trustee of the Santa Barbara County Board of Education since 2013 and has held leadership roles in organizations including Santa Barbara Partners in Education, the Carpinteria Children’s Project, and the Carpinteria Woman’s Club. She is also a member of the Santa Barbara Foundation Roundtable and serves on its Executive Committee.
Carty has helped launch several community initiatives, including Carp Cares for Youth and the Girls Inc. of Carpinteria “Discoveries” mentoring program. She has been named Pacific Coast Business Times’ Top 50 Women in Business, the Hero of Hospice Award, and Carpinterian of the Year.
Today, Carty lives in Carpinteria with her husband and enjoys time with their children and grandchildren.
Dorothy Largay
Dorothy Largay grew up in rural Connecticut as one of eight children. At an early age she learned to stand her ground, mediate differences, and embrace risk. Her father was an entrepreneur, while her mother volunteered weekly at the local hospital for more than 40 years.
Largay earned her BA from Boston College and a PhD in psychology from the University of Oregon. She built a career in leadership development, serving as director of worldwide leadership development at Apple, Inc., executive director of Santa Clara University’s Executive Development Center, and later as an executive coach to leaders of global tech and biotech companies.
After moving to Santa Barbara in 2005, Largay founded the Linked Foundation, where she serves as CEO.
Largay has also been deeply involved in Santa Barbara’s community health initiatives, serving as board chair of Direct Relief and as a member of Cottage Health’s board. Currently she serves on the Advisory Board of the Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics and as co-chair of UCSB’s Arts & Lectures Advisory Council.
Largay currently resides in Santa Barbara. She and her husband remain active supporters of organizations throughout the county.
Person of the Year Awards
Known as the Man and Woman of the Year award until 2020, this event has been hosted for over 80 years. The inaugural honorees of the Man and Woman of the Year award were Harold Chase in 1942 and Pearl Chase in 1956. Carrie Towbes and George Burtness were last year’s awardees.
The 83rd Person of the Year celebration is supported by Legacy Sponsor Montecito Bank & Trust and Organizing Sponsor the Santa Barbara Foundation; Premier Media Sponsor Noozhawk; Gold Sponsors Cox, The Kellogg Organization, Carrie Towbes & Mike Lewis, and Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf; Silver Sponsors Cottage Health, Steve Lyons, and Patty MacFarlane; and Bronze sponsors Katina Zaninovich and US Bank Private Wealth Management.
Individuals and organizations interested in sponsoring Person of the Year may reach out to Julia Kelly, Business Development Manager for the Santa Barbara Foundation at JKelly@SBFoundation.org.
Founded in 1928, the Santa Barbara Foundation actively connects donors, nonprofits, government, businesses and the people of Santa Barbara County to take on the most challenging needs facing our region’s communities. Recognizing that its work depends on the strength of the social sector, the Foundation is committed to the health and vitality of local nonprofits.
Knowing that together we can do more, the Foundation mobilizes charitable giving and connects their expertise to that of donors, nonprofits, and residents to create meaningful impact on the communities of our county.