Santa Barbara Beautiful, a nonprofit focused on beautification of the built, green and cultural environment, recently elected a new slate of officers for 2023.
They are Kerry Methner, president; Susan Bradley, treasurer/CFO/VP; Marcella Simmons, vice president; Stephanie Williams, vice president; and Lucrezia DeLeon, board secretary.
Ms. Methner has been the editor and publisher of Voice magazine for the last 20 years and is committed to building a community characterized by inclusivity and equity. A lifelong student, she holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s of divinity and a doctorate in depth psychology. Methner loves the arts and creating sculpture from stone.
She has been on the board of Santa Barbara Beautiful board since the early 2000s, is a past SBB president 2009/2010, secretary and treasurer/CFO. She has also served as president of the Santa Barbara Sculptors Guild and the Performing Arts League and recently opened Voice Gallery in La Cumbre Plaza in Santa Barbara.
Ms. Bradley is the deputy director of external affairs at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Originally from the Boston area, Ms. Bradley and her husband Mark moved to Santa Barbara in 2018. She enjoys giving back to her community by volunteering for local organizations and serves on the boards of Santa Barbara Associates and the University Club of Santa Barbara.
About her volunteer service on the board of Santa Barbara Beautiful, Ms. Bradley said she is “proud to be part of an organization that literally has its roots in the city it serves.”
Ms. Simmons is a Realtor with Village Properties and the 2023 vice president of the Santa Barbara Board of Realtors, where she chairs the Education Committee. She holds a bachelor’s from UCSB in business economics and has been a Santa Barbara businessperson for more than 40 years, with retail, sales and interior design as part of her collective work experience.
Ms. Simmons’ nonprofit work has supported the Pearl Chase Society, Friendship Center, Community Kitchen, VP Teachers’ Fund and the Mission Historical Park Rose Garden.
Ms. Williams, originally from Florida, went to college in Boston and moved to California in her 20s. She pursued a career in advertising sales for national magazines.
Over the years, she has mentored young women interested in working in advertising and volunteered at a human resources nonprofit. In addition to her work at Santa Barbara Beautiful, she is a board member of The Pearl Chase Society.
Ms. DeLeon is an architectural designer, with more than 15 years experience. She holds a bachelor’s in architecture, with a focus on sustainable built environment and socio-equity.
Her career has taken her all over the country, studying the effects of demographic determinants of health through the built environment.
In addition to serving as an officer for Santa Barbara Beautiful, Ms. DeLeon is the communications chair and an officer for the Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County. She also serves on the board for Hillside House.
email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com
