Katina Zaninovich
The Santa Barbara Foundation has named Ginger Salazar and Katina Zaninovich as its Persons of the Year for the Santa Barbara area.
They will be honored for their volunteer contributions and community service at a luncheon Sept. 21 at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort Rotunda. Tickets went on sale this week.
The first Persons of the Year were Harold Chase in 1942 and Pearl Chase in 1956. The award was known as Man and Woman of the Year and held that name until 2020.
Recent recipients of the honor include Tom Parker, Catherine Remak, Michael & Marni Cooney, David Boyd, Jelinda DeVorzon, Ernesto Paredes, Joni Meisel, Janet Garufis, Jon Clark, Steve Lyons, Carol Palladini, Bill Cirone, Anne Smith Towbes, Ken Saxon, Patricia MacFarlane, Clifford W. Sponsel, Gerd Jordano, Cliff Lambert, John Daly, and Judy Stapelmann, as well as Ed Birch and Vicki Hazard.
“A community hopes to nurture citizens to grow and give back. Ginger Salazar is a person that epitomizes this,” said nominator Ashley Costa, executive director of Lompoc Valley Community Healthcare Organization. “Lompoc gave Ginger so much, and she selflessly provides her talents to our region for all to benefit.”
With roots in Lompoc, Ms. Salazar moved back to Santa Barbara County 17 years ago with her husband and four children and continues the culture of philanthropy in this region. According to a news release, Ms. Salazar often credits her parents for instilling a strong tradition of giving back to the community.
Ms. Salazar served as co-chair for the LEAD Council at Stanford University, co-chair of the Lompoc Community Track & Field Project, and served on the boards of Prevent Child Abuse America and Imagitas, Inc., which she co-founded. Locally, she has served on the boards of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara and Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and is currently a board member for Cottage Health, the Santa Barbara Foundation and the Towbes Foundation.
In recent years, Ms. Salazar successfully led the public and private partnership and fundraising efforts with the Lompoc Unified School District to create the Lompoc Community Track and Field at Huyck Stadium.
“Ginger has a deep commitment to health, with roots in her creation of an organic garden and healthy lunch program at Montecito Union School to now serving on the Board of Directors at Cottage Health,” noted Ms. Costa. “She is a model citizen of service for all, and we are blessed to have her leadership and support.”
Ms. Zaninovich has been praised for always being ready to serve, something that she does with great style and with great results for the community, said nominator Gerd Jordano. “She is a significant and powerful leader always keeping a focus on having a healthy community.”
Originally from Kern County, Ms. Zaninovich, a retired nurse with a long history of volunteerism, has quietly and successfully supported causes near and dear to her heart for the last 20 years, according to the news release. From her time at Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles to the ongoing pandemic, she is constantly giving back, according to the Santa Barbara Foundation.
Ms. Zaninovich volunteered to give free COVID-19 vaccinations to community residents.
“Katina never asks anyone to do something that she wouldn’t do herself,” said nominator Debbie Arnesen. “From setting up for events, to being part of a team on a capital campaign, to administering vaccines in the parking lot at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital during the pandemic.”
With her volunteer work, Ms. Zaninovich was the founding member and was the first chair of the board for the San Marcos High School Royal Pride Foundation. She also served on the boards of the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, CAMA Women’s Board, Cottage Health, Post-Partum Education for Parents, and Visiting Nurses and Hospice Care Professional Advisory Committee.
Her more recent volunteer work includes serving as board chair for the Central Coast Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, chair of their Alzheimer’s Women’s Initiative, vice chair of the Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation board and co-chair of Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics Capital Campaign. She currently is a board member at Casa Dorinda.
“Katina has consistently stepped up when she saw a need or was asked,” Ms. Arnesen said. “Her firm commitment, resolve, good humor, and can-do attitude inspire others to be their best and make our community stronger.”
email: dmason@newspress.com
