She’s leaving, but she’s staying.

Sharon Byrne has stepped down as executive director of the Montecito Association after five years and helping lead the organization through the Thomas Fire, the deadly 2018 debris flows, the post-disaster rebuilding process and several political battles.

“I’ve never seen a community get on its feet so quickly, accomplish so much, and care more for their neighbors than Montecito did through these three disasters,” Byrne told Noozhawk.

“The reality of Montecito is that it is a very kind, connected community, and I’ve so enjoyed my time working with them to come out of disaster recovery into a much brighter, safer future.”

Byrne is leaving to become executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Women’s Liberation Front, whose mission is to “restore, protect, and advance the rights of women and girls using legal argument, policy advocacy and public education.”

She will remain in Santa Barbara, but her last day at the Montecito Association is Friday.

“I do see a lot of travel in my future as we work to secure and advance the human rights of women and girls nationally, and through the United Nations,” Byrne said.

Byrne is one of Santa Barbara’s most ubiquitous activists, both in the neighborhoods and on a political level. With a razor-sharp mind, adept political instincts and intensely ambitious, she can dominate a conversation and often consumes the energy of rooms she walks into.

She formerly worked as executive director of the Milpas Comunity Association, and helped lift that organization and Milpas Street businesses to new status. Then she did the same with Montecito’s Coast Village Association.

At the Montecito Association, she earned respect for her knowledge of topics and ability to pull together disparate groups and viewpoints to reach a common goal.

“Sharon Byrne led the Montecito Association to new highs,” association board member Penelope Bianchi said.

“We became involved more in the community, broadened our reach into more community matters, and advanced our visibility in our community.”

Bianchi said Byrne’s outreach to homeless individuals was very effective and has demonstrated how the community could be more involved and effective.

“We were very lucky to have had her, and I will miss her leadership,” she said. “I am very grateful to her.”

The board recruited Byrne to help Montecito with the Thomas Fire and debris flow recovery, and to help navigate the ways to prevent similar disasters.

She was also charged with messaging the community with evacuation warnings during heavy rains.

The Montecito Association supported the installation of ring nets up in several canyons to stop future debris flows, and the creation of a new debris basin on San Ysidro Creek at Randall Road.

Byrne led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic and also in the formation of Hands Across Montecito, a partnership with City Net for outreach to homeless individuals and connection to services.

In a letter that Byrne put out to association board members, Byrne noted the organization’s work with the California Department of Insurance on legislation to help Montecito homeowners whose homeowners policies were canceled because of wildfire risk, success with shaping the Highway 101 widening project, and helping businesses survive during the pandemic.

“Sharon had the ability to serve the community on so many levels, and did an excellent job communicating what was happening at all times to us,” board member Andrea Eltinge said. “We are better for her involvement.”

Byrne said she has been a delegate to the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women and that it is time to continue her journey.

“I’ve got a daughter,” she said. “I can’t live with myself if I leave her and all daughters with less rights than I had.”