The Junior League of Santa Barbara thanks outgoing President Jennifer Neisse for her outstanding leadership of the league over the past year.
This year the JLSB celebrated its 91st anniversary while beginning implementation of a new focus area.
“I am honored to have led this group of professional, intelligent and passionately generous women,” Neisse said. “I believe wholeheartedly in the JLSB’s mission of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and impacting our local community through effective action and leadership.
“I am confident that — through the continued support of our community and the hard work of our membership and incoming leadership — we will continue to make meaningful impact in Santa Barbara. I am eager to see progress continue in our newly-formed focus area, which is aimed at educating and empowering at-risk young women to reach their full potential so that they don’t fall victim to sexual exploitation,” shared Neisse as she reflected on the organization’s past year.
During her presidency, the League’s two main fundraisers — Rummage and Gala — raised nearly $120,000 to help fund training for members and volunteer work in the community.
The organization welcomed 33 new members, bringing the membership total to over 420 members. These women leaders conducted 12 projects aimed at serving the clients of other nonprofit community organizations and also organized six professional trainings to further support members’ ability to make effective impact in our community.
In addition to attending JLSB-hosted trainings, members also attended several Association of Junior Leagues International Conferences in order to learn best practices, meet other League members and to form support networks across the nearly 300 Leagues nationwide.
Neisse is a seasoned marketing and public relations professional and is currently director of marketing for Sientra.
She also teaches public relations courses at UCSB Extension and has held several leadership positions during her six-year JLSB membership, including three years of board service prior to her presidency.
She holds a master’s of public health and bachelor’s in kinesiology.
Neisse passes the presidential baton to incoming President Marissa Byrne, who joined the JLSB in 2010. Byrne also served in several leadership positions and is currently a program manager for Raytheon Vision Systems.
She will lead a nine-member board and encourages Santa Barbara County women to consider joining the organization to further their professional and personal impact in Santa Barbara.
Byrne and her membership committee are hosting several informational sessions throughout the summer, the next of which is scheduled for the evening of Monday, July 25.
To learn more, follow the Junior League of Santa Barbara on social media or email join@jlsantabarbara.org.
— Lindsay Cortina is the communications council director for the Junior League of Santa Barbara.