The Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF) has added Felicita “Cita” Torres and Randal Hernandez to its Board of Trustees.
“We are excited to welcome Cita and Randal to our board,” said Jackie Carrer, SBF president/CEO.
“Cita’s legal expertise and her extensive work in state and federal-level courts; and Randal’s broad experience in public policy, government relations, and economic development, will add a new dimension of insight to the foundation’s leading body,” she said.
“Both are deeply rooted in our county,'” Carrera said. “Cita raised her family in Santa Barbara and Randal lives in Buellton, so their connection to the needs of our communities is personally felt and valued.”
The new trustees join incoming board chair Dr. Angel Iscovich, M.D.; vice chair Alexandra Allen; treasurer Danna McGrew and secretary Michael Pfau; and trustees Richard Beswick, Rafael Gonzalez, Pamela Macal, Kiah Jordan, Lois Mitchell, George Adam, Ernesto Paredes, Matt Rowe, Lynn Scarlett, Alexander F. Simas, James H. Selbert, Jason Stilwell, Tracy Stouffer and Zohar Ziv.
Santa Barbara Foundation said it is grateful to outgoing trustee Robert Nakasone for his nine years of service to the community as member of the foundation’s board.
Hernande, who lives in lives in the Santa Ynez Valley and Los Angeles, has had a career in public policy, community engagement, and government relations, working with major corporations as well as city and state leaders.
He is managing director of IMPOWER Group, Inc., a government relations, economic development, and public affairs firm serving Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Long Beach, and clients statewide.
Most recently, he served as director of external affairs for Southern California at Verizon. Previously, he served as managing director of government relations for Union Bank and as senior public policy executive for California at Bank of America.
Hernandez also served on the senior staff of former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as appointments secretary, and as chief of staff to former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O’Neill.
Hernandez currently serves on the boards of the Santa Barbara–South Coast Chamber, EconAlliance and Coro California.
He holds a master of public administration from California State University, Long Beach. He was a member of the California Community Colleges Board of Governors.
Torres is originally from Phoenix, Arizona. After practicing law at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, she moved to Santa Barbara in 2002.
She spent seven years working at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Central District of California, as a law clerk to Judge Robin L. Riblet.
In 2014, Torres joined the law firm of Griffith & Thornburgh, where she handles insolvency and bankruptcy matters, from pre-bankruptcy consultation for individuals and businesses to representing creditors and trustees in bankruptcy litigation and contested matters.
Torres also counsels school districts in a variety of legal matters, with a focus on public construction and facilities issues.
She is a regular volunteer at the Legal Aid Foundation’s consumer debt and bankruptcy clinic, and has served on the boards of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation and the Montessori Center School.
For more about Santa Barbara Foundation, visit SBFoundation.org.