At left, Marta Holsman Babson At right, Karen Lombardo Brill
New members of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art board of trustees are Marta Holsman Babson, Karen Lombardo Brill, Robert Castle and Michael C. Linn.
They are serving under the leadership of board chair Nicholas Mutton.
Born in Chicago, Ms. Babson moved to Montecito when she was 3 years old. She attended Cold Springs School and graduated from Crane Country Day School before heading east to boarding school in Palm Beach and the American School in Lugano, Switzerland. She graduated from Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism.
After graduation, Ms. Babson worked in the trust department at CrockersNational Bank in Santa Barbara, then returned to Chicago and worked at the Harris Bank before joining L. Cartwright & Co. as vice president.
Maintaining homes in both Chicago and Montecito, Ms. Babson has been on the Woman’s Board of the Rush-Presbyterian Hospital, Goodman Theatre, and Chicago Symphony. In Santa Barbara, she currently serves on the board of the Community Arts Music Association.
Ms. Brill is a devoted advocate for and steward of the arts and the environment. She was a docent at the SBMA for 20 years, specializing in youth education, was named Docent of the Year in 2018 and served as president of the Museum Docent Council from 2005 to 2006.
After training with Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project, she created and co-leads its Santa Barbara chapter and serves on the Community Environmental Council’s Partnership Council. Ms. Brill has served on the boards of Angels Foster Care, Canticle a capella Choir and the Santa Barbara Choral Society, where she sings as a soprano.
She has a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Temple University, trained as a school consultant at Villanova University and studied family therapy with the Family Council of Philadelphia.
Over a 35-year career managing information and telecommunications companies, Mr. Castle has been an entrepreneurial leader for young technology start-ups in Michigan, Southern California and Boston. A graduate in mathematics from the University of Michigan, he started his professional life teaching mathematics and computer science at the high school level.
Moving on to Sycor Inc., a young computer company in Ann Arbor, Mr. Castle built a business career in marketing and executive leadership. Career opportunities took him to other young technology firms in Orange County such as FileNet Corp. and eventually to leading his own business successes in Boston.
Retired now, Mr. Castle, who recently moved to Montecito, has three children and one granddaughter.
Mr. Linn is a 40-year energy industry veteran, spokesman and leader. Bringing a lifelong history of starting, buying, building and selling both private and public companies, he has a record of success as founder, executive, industry authority, general counsel, board member/officer, teacher and investor. Mr. Linn is currently president and CEO of MCL Ventures LLC, a family office with oil and gas and real estate investments.
His civic board service includes Texas Children’s Hospital, where he is chairman of the board of trustees.
He is a member of the board of visitors and development committee at MD Anderson Cancer Center, member of the senior cabinet of the President’s Leadership Council at Houston Methodist Hospital and on the board of trustees and various committees at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Mr. Linn earned his bachelor’s degree in 1974 in political science from Villanova University and his law degree in 1977 from Baltimore School of Law.
email: mmcmahon@newspress.com
