SANTA BARBARA — Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara is pleased to announce the election of a new president and four new members to its Board of Directors.
Tracy Jenkins, the incoming board president, and new members James Aviani, Victoria Kahn, and Connie X. Rishwain, all bring a variety of skills and knowledge to Girls Inc. that will play an important role in its mission to inspire girls to be strong, smart, and bold.
“We are delighted to welcome Tracy, our new board president, and this exceptional group of leaders to our board of directors,” said Barbara Ben-Horin, CEO of Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara. “Our board has a strong vision and an unmatched passion for furthering our mission to empower young women and girls in the community and I look forward to the many opportunities that lie ahead.”
Tracy Jenkins brings to her new position as board president an extensive background in business operations, marketing, sales and nonprofit management, along with a passion for community involvement and inspiring young women and girls to reach their goals. She most recently served as interim CEO of Girls Inc. Greater Santa Barbara, allowing the organization to continue its valuable work through the transition period.
Jenkins previously served as an assistant girls track and cross country coach in St. Louis, Missouri, where she led her teams to earn five individual state championships. Prior to that, she worked as an independent sales representative, building sales in Southern California for brands such as TEVA, Josef Seibel, Etonic, and Insport.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from Principia College in Illinois and completed the Fielding Graduate Institute program in nonprofit management. Jenkins has been actively engaged in community and volunteer initiatives for many years, spearheading the implementation of an elementary school-based Latin learning program into her children’s school and supporting educational advancement through parent and donor relations. She is married to Stuart Jenkins and they have two children, J.J. and Jordan.
James Aviani is a lifelong technologist with a passion for helping girls become more involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). He currently serves as vice president of business operations at Blue Jeans Network, a Silicon Valley start-up company. With nearly three decades of experience in the software engineering and technology industries, Aviani has previously held positions with Citrix and Cisco Systems, among others.
He has served on the board of the Montecito Trails Foundation since 2013. Aviani earned his M.S. in computer science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and his B.S. from the University of California, Santa Cruz and holds more than 30 US patents. He has been married for 23 years and has two daughters.
Victoria Kahn brings to Girls Inc. an extensive background in estate planning and wealth management services. She is a fiduciary advisory specialist for the Southern Pacific market of Wells Fargo Private Bank, working with clients to integrate fiduciary and investment knowledge into a custom wealth plan. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Kahn was an attorney at Price, Postel & Parma LLP, where she specialized in comprehensive estate planning, family business succession planning, probate and trust administration and the law of tax-exempt organizations.
Kahn serves as the second vice president of CAMA Women’s Board and as a member of the UCSB Planning Giving Advisors Network. She was previously involved in various committees with the Junior League of Santa Barbara.
Kahn holds a J.D. from the University of California, Davis School of Law and a B.A. in history, cum laude from Colgate University. She earned her LL.M. in Taxation and her Estate Planning Certificate from Georgetown University Law Center.
Connie X. Rishwain served as the president of UGG Australia, a division of Deckers Brands, from 2002 through 2015 after serving as the company’s vice president general manager. Under her leadership, Rishwain catapulted the UGG shearling boot into a $1.5 billion global lifestyle brand. In addition to her role as president, she was group president of Deckers’ Lifestyle Brands, a past president of the company’s Simple division, and was an executive officer of Deckers for more than 20 years. During her tenure, Rishwain implemented the UGG brand’s socially responsible commitment to children in need.
Rishwain received a bachelor’s degree in history from University of the Pacific and is a newly elected member of the university’s governing board of regents. She was recently honored with the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award for professional service.
Rishwain is an active board member for K.I.D.S. (Kids in Distressed Situations)–Fashion Delivers. She is married to her husband Jeff Rishwain and has two children, Alec and Demetra.
Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara is a chapter of Girls Incorporated, a national organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart and bold. Through educational programs and advocacy, Girls Inc. encourage girls and young women to take risks; master physical, intellectual and emotional challenges; and prepare them to lead successful, independent and fulfilling lives. For more information, please call 805-963-4757 or visit www.girlsincsb.org.
About Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara: Dedicated to providing life-changing educational programs to young girls in a safe, happy, and supportive environment. The organization’s trained professional staff delivers curriculum to over 1,600 girls each year ensuring they develop life skills, self-confidence, and the tools to make smart choices. For more than 60 years, its award-winning programs have been inspiring girls in the Santa Barbara community to be strong, smart, and bold. To learn more, become a volunteer or offer support, please visit www.girlsincsb.org.