Regina Ruiz has been named St. Vincent’s first chief development officer in the organization’s 164-year history in Santa Barbara.
Ruiz joined St. Vincent’s in 2019, as vice president of development and marketing. Ruiz holds a doctor of education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California (USC).
As chief development officer, she will use her leadership experience from both the private and nonprofit sectors to craft a targeted development, marketing and communication strategy for all the St. Vincent’s programs, and oversee all of St. Vincent’s public relations.
Ruiz’s recent doctoral dissertation titled “A Strategy to Thrive During a Crisis for Nonprofit Organizations” is published in the USC Library. The qualitative research included interviews with top nonprofit leaders in Santa Barbara. The study is a basis for promoting improved services and policies in nonprofit crisis response efforts.
As a broadcast journalist, Ruiz has anchored and reported at top-market television stations across the country for more than a decade including in New York, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Santa Barbara, and most recently for NBC in San Diego. She has also worked at ESPN writing sports highlights and at the Olympics in Greece with NBC Sports.
She earned her M.S. in broadcast journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.
“Regina is an experienced development and marketing executive with a strong background in the nonprofit sector,” said Rosa Paredes, president/CEO. “We are fortunate to have Regina as our chief development officer, and she will continue to take St. Vincent’s further in fulfilling our marketing and development needs so we can continue to serve our community.”
Ruiz said she is eager to continue the tradition of caring and success founded by the Daughters of Charity at St. Vincent’s.
“I am humbled by this tremendous opportunity. I believe when you are called to lead, you are called to serve. I look forward to expanding our ministry and serving even more of our brothers and sisters in need in Santa Barbara,” she said.
St. Vincent’s is the oldest continually operating human service agency in Santa Barbara, having begun operations in 1858. Today, St. Vincent’s provides the largest affordable housing programs on one campus, early childhood education, and transitional housing.
St. Vincent’s also operates the only day center for the unsheltered in the community through collaboration with the Franciscan Friars at the Old Mission Santa Barbara.