From left, United Way of Santa Barbara County staff member Melinda Cabrera, chair and sponsor Rosemary Mutton, keynote speaker Michelle Branch, Casie Killgore and event chair Andria Kahmann at Women United’s second annual Classic Storybook Luncheon. 
Jackie Inskeep, left, Suzanne Danielson and Maryan Schall. 
Supporters Barbara Milliken, left, Terrie Milliken and Libby Aubrey. 
From left, Elisa Bartron Hills, Carol Anne Werner, Julie Murphy, Kathleen McClellan, Shari Liu, Olivia Alvarado, Myla Conroy, Olesya Thyne, Katie Hamdy and Kandie Overgaag. 
David Jackson, left, Merryl Snow Zegar and Deirdre Hade Arntz. 
Amber and Steve Ortiz, United Way president and CEO. 
From left, Karla Parker, Tracy Bollag, Gloria Clark, Jelinda DeVorzon and Leslie Person Ryan.
Women United, an affinity group of United Way of Santa Barbara County, hosted its second annual Classic Storybook Luncheon on March 3 in the Coral Casino at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara.
The book “Little Women,” the 2019 Women United Book Club selection, was the event theme.
A handful of attendees dressed in costume reflecting the “Little Women” era, including event chair Andria Kahmann, who donned a lavender full-length gown complete with a bustle and a fancy chapeau.
“Over 150 years after its original publication, 'Little Women' still relates today with the timeless themes of family, coming of age, achieving your dreams and helping others,” she said.
She also told the crowd that because of Women United’s support last year, participants in the Kindergarten Success Institutes improved their academic skills by 68 percent and their social/emotional skills by 69 percent.
Melinda Cabrera, United Way’s director of strategic partnerships and an event speaker, told Noozhawk, “We are grateful for 200 attendees who joined us this year. Thanks to donations from our guests and sponsors, Women United was able to raise close to $60,000, which will go a long way toward providing high-quality learning opportunities to help more students meet and exceed critical reading benchmarks.”
The featured speaker was Michelle Branch, principal and founder of the Branch Law Group and chair of the Women United Global Leadership Council. She spoke about the impact women can have on their community.
Branch serves as a board member with United Way Bay Area and chair of the Women United Global Leadership Council, an advisory body mobilizing women leaders to build stronger communities. She has taught at the NYU Law School and the University of California at Berkeley. She earned a Ph.D. and an M.A. in history from UC Berkeley, a J.D. from Stanford Law School and an A.B. in American studies from Stanford University.
Rosemary Mutton is the chair of the Women United Leadership Team.
“I have been associated with United Way for over 30 years, beginning in Chicago and Toronto, but nowhere else have I seen such incredible involvement by the community to help those less fortunate,” she said.
The event committee included Kahmann, Mutton, Karen Knight, Sara Kerr, Susan Hersberger, Mary Jean Vignone, Rhonda Stewart and Janine Amato. Part of a national network of more than 75,000 women in 165 communities, Women United mobilizes a powerful leadership network of women to strengthen Santa Barbara County.
The 2020 sponsors included Aera Energy, American Riviera Bank, Bryant & Sons Ltd., City National Bank, ExxonMobil, Rosemary Mutton and Union Bank, as well as event underwriters: Bobbi Didier, Clearwater at Riverpark, Betty Noling, Success Reach LTD and UCSB. Brander provided a lovely Cuvee Natalie Santa Ynez for guests to enjoy on the sunny Coral Casino patio and in the ballroom during the program.
United Way of Santa Barbara County has the positive vision that “in our community, everyone has a hopeful future.” Since 1923, UWSBC has served the Santa Barbara County community through funding and volunteer development and by utilizing its own initiatives that involve dozens of local nonprofit and public-sector agencies.
Click here for more information, or call 805.965.8591.
— Noozhawk contributing writer Rochelle Rose can be reached at rrose@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.