2026 LEAP Awards
2026 LEAP Awards
Saturday, February 28, 2026
10am-11:30am
The Reagan Room at Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort
The 2026 LEAP Awards will be a milestone celebration of our 55th anniversary as a nonprofit and 50 years of our Children’s Center. This special brunch brings together community leaders, philanthropists, and partners who believe in creating brighter futures for children and families.
This year we are honoring Jackie Carrera, Santa Barbara Foundation President and CEO, Ashley Costa, Lompoc Valley Community Healthcare Organization Executive Director, and Distinguished Alumn Das Williams for their outstanding service to children and families on the central coast.
Proceeds from this event will support LEAP programs.
Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort
633 E Cabrillo Blvd, Santa Barbara, CA 93103
Sponsorship Opportunities
Contact Kara Shoemaker, Director of Development, at karas@leapcentralcoast.org.
LEAP Awardees
Jackie Carrera serves as President & CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF), the California Central Coast’s oldest and largest community foundation. Founded in 1928, the Foundation envisions a thriving community for all and works to mobilize philanthropic capital and collective wisdom to build empathetic, inclusive and resilient communities. Since joining the Santa Barbra Foundation in 2018, Jackie has led the Foundation’s efforts to refine its strategy, develop financial and human resources, drive new revenue opportunities, refine the business model, further develop the donor base and endowment, and increase impact. During her tenure, the Foundation’s assets grew from $500M to $900M with $51M in grants made in 2024.
Ashley Costa is a proud third-generation native of the Lompoc Valley. After graduating from Lompoc schools, she earned a degree in Political Science with a minor in Portuguese from UCLA, graduating Cum Laude. Committed to public service, Ashley made history at just 22 years old as the youngest person ever elected to the Lompoc City Council. During her four-year term in office, she served on the Board of the Air Pollution Control District and CommUnify (formerly CAC).
Ashley is passionate about her beautiful home of Lompoc and a trusted leader in the community. She is deeply committed to strengthening community resilience, addressing the social determinants of health, advancing health equity, and encouraging civic participation. Believing in the power of continual growth, she is currently pursuing a law degree at the Colleges of Law to further her ability to serve and advocate for her community. She finds great joy in giving back to her hometown and is especially grateful to be raising her three-year-old daughter Olive alongside her husband, Jimmy.
Distinguished Alumnus
Das Williams has served in public office for two decades, first on the Santa Barbara City Council (2003-2010), in the California State Assembly (2010-2016), and as Santa Barbara County Supervisor for the First District (2016-2024). Today, he serves as Senior Advisor for Policy and Legislative Affairs for Central Coast Community Energy (3CE), working to provide 100% clean energy to 1.2 million people across 5 counties and 34 cities—10 to 15 years ahead of California’s timeline—to give our children a cleaner and healthier planet.
As a State Assemblymember and Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, Das authored bills that expanded access to California’s public universities and colleges. Following the tragic Isla Vista mass shooting, he passed landmark gun safety legislation and organized gun buy-back events to remove dangerous guns from our neighborhoods. As a County Supervisor, he helped secure more funding for infant childcare and expanded after school programs for working families. Understanding that stable housing provides the foundation children need to succeed, Das authored local laws strengthening renters’ rights, created emergency assistance programs to prevent family evictions, and supported affordable and rental housing projects that working families desperately need.
Today, Das lives in Carpinteria with his wife Jonnie, and is a proud Das to their two daughters, Ya’Ash and Khaya.
Katya Armistead • Dr. Liz Barnitz • Jon Clark • Dr. Lynn Fitzgibbons • Ernesto Paredes • Carrie Towbes, PhD • Jordan Killebrew • Monique Limón • Kristen Miller • Steve Ortiz • Ken Saxon • Wendy Sims-Moten