Board of Directors
Low Income Sector
Karin Dominguez
Karin Dominguez is a retired educator for Santa Maria-Bonita School District and has been in the field of early childhood education for over thirty years. She is very involved in organizations which promote the well-being of children and families in our community including as a CommUnify Board member, California Association for the Education of Young Children Public Policy past board member, Santa Barbara Child Care Planning Council past chair and member, and past president of Pacific Coast Association for the Education of Young Children (PCAEYC).
Maico Hernandez
Maico Hernandez has been a member of CommUnify’s Board of Directors since 2021. Mr. Hernandez has worked as a Logistics Coordinator with Babe Farms for the past six years, where he also works with local field workers and their families to connect them with all the educational opportunities available to their children.
Marina Owen
Marina Owen has been a member of the CommUnify Board of Directors since November 2021. As CEO of CenCal Health, the publicly-funded health care program for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, Ms. Owen is responsible for the overall strategic direction, management, and administration of programs and services.
Sanford Riggs
Sanford Riggs has been a member of the CommUnify Board since 2019. His long career, expertise, and commitment to providing low-income residents access to affordable housing aligns with our mission to improve the economic security of our community.
Josephine Torres
Josephine Torres has been a member of CommUnify’s Board of Directors since September 2009. Ms. Torres came to our organization through a recommendation from former Santa Barbara City Councilmember Grant House after she resigned from serving on the City of Santa Barbara’s Human Services Commission for 6 years representing the low income sector.
Private Sector
Dr. Sharon Lutz, Ph.D
Sharon Lutz joined CommUnify’s Board of Directors in 2018 and is currently the Vice President for Quality Support Services at Cottage Health. Dr. Lutz also serves on CommUnify’s Planning Committee which oversees the Strategic planning process for the agency.
Alexander Saunders
Mr. Saunders completed his law degree at the University of San Francisco, became a member of the California BAR Association in 2007 and now operates Saunders Law Office in Santa Barbara. He has more than 10 years of experience as a licensed attorney, specializing in Trusts & Estates and Taxation law.
Phylene Wiggins
Phylene Wiggins has been a member of the CommUnify Board of Directors since 2018. Ms. Wiggins currently serves Associate Director of Human Resources for CenCal Health and formerly Vice President of Programs and Grants for Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) where she worked directly with nonprofits, businesses, and public agencies as well as with individuals and families.
Public Sector
Jeremy Ball
Jeremy Ball joined the Board of Directors for CommUnify as a District 4 representative in 2021. Mr. Ball was elected to Lompoc City Council in November 2020 where he encourages a collaborative environment for constituents and plays a significant role as Lompoc moves forward in its economic recovery.
Mike Cordero
Mike Cordero has been a member of CommUnify’s Board since 2014 and has served on the Santa Maria City Council representing since 2008. Prior to joining the Council, Mr. Cordero was with the Santa Maria Police Department for 36 years, retiring as a Lieutenant.
Oscar Gutierrez
Oscar Gutierrez has been a member of CommUnify’s Board and a member of Santa Barbara City Council representing the 3rd district since 2018. As a bilingual member of Council, Mr. Gutierrez is able to engage with Santa Barbara’s diverse population, including those who previously felt underrepresented.
James Kyriaco
James Kyriaco has been a member of the CommUnify Board since 2019. He started his career working in local politics, managing and assisting the election campaigns for a number of respected local elected officials who represented Goleta.
Bob Nelson
Supervisor Bob Nelson has represented the 4th District of Santa Barbara County since 2021. In his role Mr. Nelson plans to continue his work as a taxpayer advocate, ensuring government efficiency and limiting wasteful spending, while prioritizing a number of local issues including expanding services for unincorporated communities, public safety, campaign finance reform, homelessness, and infrastructure and maintenance.