Fall Harvest Picnic

Mickey Flacks, Affordable & Workforce Housing Advocate

Mickey was honored for her longtime advocacy of affordable and workforce housing. Her vast accumulation of knowledge on housing issues makes her a force to be reckoned with as she champions those struggling to find affordable housing in one the most expensive housing markets in the nation.

As a member of the Housing Authority's Board of Commissioners and the County's Affordable Housing Taskforce, Mickey has helped to create much needed housing for moderate to low income families across the county. More recently, Mickey helped to create Santa Barbara for All (SB4ALL), where she serves as co-chair. This coalition of engaged citizens seeks to create a thriving community that balances protection of the environment, economic well being, and social equity. Central to that is finding practical solutions to housing the City of Santa Barbara's diverse workforce.

During Mickey's long career as a community activist, she has served on the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Women's Political Committee, Environmental Defense Center, and Citizens Planning Association, among others. Mickey's heartfelt service to the community in the cause of peace and social justice has served all of us well.

Marc Chytilo, Sustainable Transportation Advocate

Marc was honored for his hard-fought advocacy for sustainable transportation. As a public interest environmental attorney for over 20 years, Marc has represented numerous community groups and individuals in a wide range of environmental issues, often pro bono.

In 2002 he represented COAST in a pro bono lawsuit that resulted in the funding and establishment of the then-new intercommunity public transit service in northern Santa Barbara County, Breeze Bus, serving Lompoc, VAFB and Santa Maria. His work also led to the development of the van pool service offering safe, reliable, and affordable transportation to Santa Maria Valley farmworkers. That settlement also resulted in the funding and completion of a North County Transit Plan, which set a blueprint for north county transit system upgrades. Additional advocacy has resulted in the approval of a centralized Transit Center in both Lompoc and Santa Maria.

Environmental Defense Center & Santa Barbara County Farm Bureau, Sustainable Agriculture

EDC and the SBC Farm Bureau were honored for spearheading the Santa Barbara County Ag Futures Alliance (AFA) in an effort to promote sustainable agriculture in Santa Barbara County. Spearheading this Alliance has been no mean feat in a county where the environmental and agricultural communities are often poles apart on issues, and mistrust and harsh words are not uncommon. Reaching out across that contentious divide was a personal and professional risk for leaders of both organizations, but well worth taking. After twelve meetings building trust, respect, and understanding, members of the Alliance have agreed on two important projects-ag land preservation and farmworker housing.

Santa Barbara's AFA is one of several coalitions throughout California that raise awareness about of the importance of local agriculture in creating sustainable communities and maintaining a healthy planet. This importance is highlighted by the Roots of Change Fund, which supports this work: "How food is grown, processed, distributed, sold, and eaten affects the very fabric of the state. It effects our open spaces, the development of our cities, our health, our children's health, the economy, the health of our landscapes, biodiversity, the climate, air, water, and soil, in short - our connection with, and care for, the natural world."

"Sustainability and the Creation of Abundance"

Guest speaker, Dr. James Murphy, Ph.D, talked about the importance of sustainability in community development.  Dr. Murphy is a highly regarded expert who has worked globally on the front-end of this evolving field, most recently with the International Institute for Strategic Studies, one of the world's leading think tanks for international affairs, where he was responsible for a hew initiative in climate change and energy security.

"Sustainability is a journey rather than a final destination," Dr. Murphy explained. "We know that the paradigm that emerged from the industrial revolution is no longer tenable; but the shape of the new paradigm hasn't yet entirely formed. Rather than speak, though, of 'sustainability', I propose we think in terms of 'thrive-ability', not just focusing on scarcity of resources, but on the creation of abundance."

Many Thanks to our Generous Sponsors, Volunteers, and Donors