The Granada Theatre is pleased to welcome three new members to its Board of Directors of the Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts, which owns and operates the historic theater: Scott Brittingham, Palmer Jackson Jr. and Gretchen Lieff.
The mission of the SBCPA is to serve as a support organization to the resident companies of The Granada Theatre by providing a state of the art venue in an historic landmark, and to promote the overall vitality and sustainability of the performing arts in Santa Barbara.
“On behalf of the SBCPA, we are very fortunate to welcome Scott, Palmer, and Gretchen to the board,” says Sarah Chrisman, President of the Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts Board of Directors. “They each offer a unique contribution and generous heart that supports our mission to ensure that all of our community members have access and the ideal venue to enjoy the arts.”
Brittingham, a graduate of Williams College (BA) and USC Marshall School of Business (MBA), is a private investor and founder of the Brittingham Family Foundation, which advises and supports nonprofits in Santa Barbara and Southern California.
He brings local leadership experience to the SBCPA, including having chaired successful capital campaigns for leading organizations such as the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation and Crane Country Day School. He currently serves on the board of public radio station KCRW and is Chair of the Brittingham Social Enterprise Lab at USC Marshall School of Business, along with the capital campaigns for Thacher School and Santa Barbara Children’s Library.
Jackson, a fourth-generation Santa Barbara native, is a graduate of Yale University (BA) and UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business (MBA), who has spent most of his business career leading marketing teams in Santa Barbara high tech companies. He has previously served as Chairman of the Board of The Lobero Theatre and of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
He currently serves as a Trustee at Cate School, the Ann Jackson Family Foundation, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History where he chairs the Museum’s recently announced Centennial Campaign. A life-long musician, Palmer is passionate about the performing arts and can be seen playing around town with his band, The Doublewide Kings.
Lieff is the Founder of the Lutah Maria Riggs Society and Executive Producer of the documentary “Lutah.” Gretchen is passionate about Santa Barbara history and is a staunch supporter of Casa del Herrero, Lotusland, the Pearl Chase Society, the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, the Montecito Historical Society, and the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara. In addition to local history and architectural preservation, Gretchen is a supporter of UCSB Arts & Lectures, Planned Parenthood, Channelkeeper, Human Rights Watch, and Domestic Violence Solutions. Gretchen has worked closely with the Napa Land Trust and Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County where she was instrumental in preserving substantial open space. Currently Gretchen is President of Lieff Wines, and serves on the Members Committee of the Coral Casino. Gretchen is a former KGO Radio/ABC News reporter in San Francisco, and holds a BA in Broadcast Journalism from USC.
The 2015 Granada Theatre Board of Directors includes Sarah Schlinger Chrisman, president; Dan Burnham, vice president; Marla McNally Phillips, vice president; Roberta Griffin, treasurer; Mary Tonetti Dorra, secretary; Scott Brittingham; Richard Caleel; Hal Conklin; Patricia Gregory; Palmer Jackson Jr.; L. Robert Johnson; Chris Lancashire; Gretchen Lieff; Philip Marking; Nancy O’Connor; Carrie Ohly-Cusack; Eric Phillips; Sharol Siemens; Rob Sternin; Michael Towbes; H. Wallace Vandever; Carol Wilburn; and Chrisman Executive Director Dr. Craig Springer.
To learn more about how to support the Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts or the Granada Theatre, please contact Kristi Newton, director of development, at knewton@granadasb.org or 805.899.3000 x130, or click here.
— Sydney Gardner is a publicist representing the Granada Theatre.