Board of Directors
Low Income Sector
Areli Miguel
Areli has been a member of CommUnify’s Board of Directors since November 2022.
Angela Miller-Bevan
Angela has been a member of CommUnify’s Board of Directors since November 2024. Angela serves the Santa Barbara County community as the Executive Director/CEO at Unity Shoppe. Unity Shoppe is committed to providing resources, such as groceries, clothing, and other essentials, to Santa Barbara County residents impacted by temporary conditions of poverty, life transitions, natural disasters, or health crises. Angela aims to reinforce human dignity and encourage self-sufficiency and independence. Her vision is to create a community where every individual facing temporary life adversity finds support, empowerment, and opportunity, fostering a resilient society where dignity, self-sufficiency, and independence thrive.
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.
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
Miguel Avila
Miguel has been a member of CommUnify’s Board of Directors since November 2024. Born and raised in Los Altos de Jalisco, Mexico, Miguel came to Santa Barbara at age 16. While supporting his mother and five sisters, he learned English and Hotel Restaurant Management at Santa Barbara City College. Today he is a top Realtor; a Santa Barbara homeowner; the proud father of two daughters, Aimee (UCSB graduate) and Mireya (attending Cornell University), and an active community member. Miguel is also the founder of the Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce - an organization with the vision of helping the Hispanic business community succeed with community support.
Alexander Saunders
Alexander has been a member of CommUnify’s Board of Directors since June 2019. 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.
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Hilda Zacarias
Hilda has been a member of CommUnify’s Board of Directors since September 2024. Ms. Zacarías attended Allan Hancock Community College and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Accounting emphasis, from Cal Poly State University – San Luis Obispo. She has been recognized as a Distinguished Alumni of Allan Hancock College and received the Distinguished Service Award from Cal Poly. She received her Master’s in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2006. She is recognized as a Certified Public Accountant by the California State Board of Accountancy (License #123780).
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.
Gloria Flores
Gloria has been a member of CommUnify’s Board of Directors since January 2025. Gloria Flores was elected to the City Council in November 2024, by voters in City Council District Two, the northeast portion of the City. She has lived in Santa Maria for eight years, relocating from Sacramento with her husband so they could be closer to her son. In the State capital, Flores worked as an advocate for Child Protective Services and reunited foster families. She also has 10 years of experience as a former private school principal and preschool director.
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.
Roy Lee
Roy has been a member of CommUnify’s Board of Directors since January 2025. Roy Lee is a local who knows his community. He is dedicated to serving the people he represents every day. He has shown his commitment in serving on the Carpinteria City Council beginning in 2018. In this role, he has worked tirelessly to address the needs and concerns of the community, striving to make Carpinteria an even better place to live and thrive. In 2022, he was reelected overwhelmingly and continues listening to the needs of his constituents and delivering solutions that make our community a better place to live.