Dubroff: Michael Towbes’ legacy of giving lives on after his death
After a successful career as a developer and banker, Michael Towbes spent the last two decades of his life with an increased focus on philanthropy. He was not simply giving back. He was deliberately creating a legacy for his enterprises to remain rooted in the community, while shaping and guiding the region’s cultural institutions. That Read More →
Read More →Our view: Shuttered oil pipelines too much for Venoco
Updated at 12:05 p.m. April 24: When a Plains All American pipeline broke, spilling 142,000 gallons near Refugio Beach two years ago, few would have foreseen the unintended consequence that played out in a Delaware bankruptcy court on April 17. Venoco, a capable operator and the largest corporate taxpayer in Santa Barbara County, announced it Read More →
Read More →Our view: Gillespie good choice for VCCCD chancellor
The Ventura County Community College District has taken a big step forward with the hiring of Greg Gillespie as its permanent chancellor. Gillespie, president of Ventura College since 2013, knows the area and its politics, he has a proven track record and he’s extremely familiar with workforce needs in critical industries such as agribusiness, technology Read More →
Read More →Dubroff: More routes, bigger planes help tri-county airports take off
Just 18 months ago, the future looked grim for the region’s airports. Pilot shortages and a switch by regional carriers from prop jet to all-jet fleets meant cutbacks and consolidation up and down the coast. Business travelers from airports in Burbank, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and San Luis Obispo were facing fewer options and higher Read More →
Read More →Our view: Mike Towbes’ legacy will live on
The Central Coast will be remembering the late Mike Towbes for a long time. By creating a trust to ensure local ownership of Montecito Bank & Trust, the Princeton-educated engineer created a vehicle for community philanthropy that will stretch on for future decades. The people around him, family members, his widow Anne Smith Towbes, Montecito Read More →
Read More →Our view: Common sense key trait for city council candidates
As Goleta, Santa Maria and other municipalities contemplate district elections for city council — with dire predictions about anti-business bias among candidates — James Fenkner has a better idea. Fenkner, a self-described “radical centrist,” has launched a talent search for candidates in the upcoming Santa Barbara city elections. He is hoping that through informal networking Read More →
Read More →Dubroff: Towbes created his own recipe for success in banking business
When Mike Towbes stepped down as chair at Montecito Bank & Trust on April 3, he deftly handed the reins of the region’s largest banking company to incoming Chair Janet Garufis and President George Leis. As with just about everything Towbes does, the move was carefully calibrated. At age 87, Towbes has earned the right Read More →
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2015-2016 Giving Guide
