Governance 
The Association is organized and operated to continually qualify under California Revenue and Taxation Code 23701(f) as a Nonprofit Mutual Benefit Social Welfare Organization and maintains federal tax exemption status under 501(c)(4).
The Upper East Association is governed by a Board of Directors acting under the guidance of the organization’s bylaws.
The Board of Directors has adopted and follows a set of budget principles.
The most recent Upper East Association annual meeting was held at the First Presbyterian Church on Saturday November 4, 2023, 3:00 p.m.
The last annual election for the Board of Directors was held by online ballot between Dec 11 to Dec 22, 2023.
Expectations for Board members:
Collaborative approach
Attend scheduled Board meetings on the second Tuesday of each month
Actively participate in UEA initiatives and prepare newsletter articles
Review and comment on documents prepared by others
Assume responsibility for an administrative role such as …
- president
- secretary
- treasurer
- electronic newsletters
- membership database
- annual newsletter production and distribution
- annual meeting
- recruiting
Board Members for 2023-2024 Board
The following individuals were appointed to fill a vacancy
for the 2023-24 two-year term
Ross Foti. Ross, his wife Shelley, and their mini red poodle Raleigh are happy to be living in the Upper East, enjoying its beauty and quietude in proximity to everything lovely Santa Barbara offers. Although this is our first time living here together as a family, Ross lived here twenty years ago while project-managing the restoration of five bungalow cottages on East Islay Street. Ross is also an Ordained Minister of Religious Science, holds a Masters Degree in Consciousness Studies, is a singer/songwriter, poet, pianist, and has designed gardens both large and small in public spaces and private homes throughout the desert in the Coachella Valley and across The San Francisco Bay Area.
Being here now, noticing the changes (and the changelessness) in the Upper East and in the city itself, Ross is grateful to get involved and contribute to our community through membership on the board of the Upper East Association. He looks forward to finding ways to broaden its membership and what we offer as well as encouraging its long-time and brand-new residents to get involved. Looking toward the future, he hopes we will find ways to cultivate a civic-minded, resourceful community enjoying our peaceful streets and the beautiful neighborliness that continues to define the Upper East.
The following individuals were elected for the 2023-24 two-year term
Rod Hersberger – Treasurer. Rod and his wife Susan Hersberger purchased their home on E Los Olivos St in May 2014 and began living in it in August 2014 after renovations were completed. Rod is a retired academic library administrator from the California State University and has been a Board member and secretary in a condominium association in Santa Barbara. The Hersbergers enjoy cooking and travel, including visiting grandchildren in DC and staying at a family home on the Lynnhaven River in Virginia Beach. Rod particularly likes maintaining and driving his cars. Rod was appointed by the Board in March 2016 to fill the vacancy created by Saul Cooper’s departure from Santa Barbara.
Ryan Newell. Ryan Newell moved from New York to Santa Barbara in 2003 to attend Westmont College. After graduating, Ryan launched CITIG, a local technology consulting and support business. For over 15 years Ryan and his team at CITIG have been helping business and residential clients better utilize technology by steering them towards reliable solutions and providing a great customer experience. In 2017, Ryan and his wife, Amber, had their first child, Olivia, and moved to the Upper East with their ferocious Maltipoo, Ted. Their second child, Navy, was born in 2019. You will frequently see them walking, running, and riding around with their kids and enjoying everything this wonderful neighborhood has to offer. One of their kids will probably be barefoot, shirtless, covered in paint, and/or mud – they live life to the fullest. Ryan and Amber are excited for Ryan’s active membership on the board helping to maintain the legacy and history of the Upper East.
Michael O’Connell. Michael and his family have lived on the Upper Eastside for 48 years, ever since he bought his house at 430 E Valerio in 1974. He’s lived in Santa Barbara since 1970, when he began teaching at UCSB (except for two years when he was Study Center Director in London for UC’s Education Abroad Program). His wife, Lisa Jones O’Connell, a retired teacher from the Goleta Union District, has lived here even longer. They have four children, one still living in Santa Barbara and teaching at the University.
Michael retired as a professor emeritus of English in 2010 after 40 years of teaching and research. His field was Renaissance literature; if you were an English major during that time, you probably couldn’t avoid his classes in Shakespeare or Milton. For several years after that he taught in the College of Creative Studies, and spent five years as faculty ombuds.
In those 52 years he’s seen significant changes in the politics and demographics of Santa Barbara, as well as in relations between the city and the university, virtually all of them positive. Santa Barbara is a different city from what it was in 1970, when the John Birch Society had an office on De la Guerra Street. What hasn’t changed is the attractiveness of the city and the Upper East. He’s always amazed at our good luck to live in such a beautiful place!
Board Members for 2023-2024 Board
The following individuals were elected for the 2023-24 two-year term
Steve Forsell – President. Steve Forsell was the owner of a local real estate appraisal company for nearly 30 years. He has lived in Santa Barbara since 1968 and graduated from UCSB in 1972. He and his wife Mary have lived on the Upper East since 1985. He has been active locally in politics, educational institutions and government. He served 4 years on the Santa Barbara School Board and 7 years on the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Commission. In addition, he has served on several local boards and non-profit organizations.
Beth Perry – Newsletter. Beth Perry previously served on the UEA Board assisting in member communications. Beth took charge of organizing our UEA annual meetings, where we have traditionally met other neighbors over wine and appetizers in a beautiful setting. Living on Constance Lane with her husband, Bob, now retired after a long career in the medical device industry, Beth graciously agreed to rejoin the UEA Board, appointed in July 2020 and officially elected in December 2020.
Pat Saley. Pat Saley came to the US from Canada when she was seven years old. She moved to Santa Barbara to attend UCSB and has been here ever since. Since graduating, she’s lived on the Mesa, in Montecito and now in the Upper East. Her two children are SBHS and Cal Poly grads and work in health care. Pat worked for the US Forest Service (where she met her husband), California Coastal Commission and then the City of Santa Barbara as a land use planner for nine years. She started her own land use planning and facilitation business in 1988 when her younger child was born. She has done contract planning and facilitation work for most jurisdictions on the South Coast and has also worked for many non-profits in the county. Pat serves on two countywide committees (Measure A Oversight and Library Advisory Committees) and is very involved in public libraries, golf, pickleball and, hopefully someday, travel.
Fred Sweeney – Secretary. Fred and Jane Sweeney are 32-year residents of the neighborhood where they raised their two adult children, who now reside in Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, California. Fred is a semi-retired architect having been a partner for 34 years in one of Santa Barbara’s oldest architectural firms. His last major project with the firm was as a designer of the new Santa Barbara Airport Terminal. He has served on various boards of professional and other community organizations, including as president of the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Alumni Association representing all 150,000 living alumni around the world. He is the founding president of the Santa Barbara Architectural Foundation. He is currently assisting on the Safe Passage project for the Los Olivos/Mission Canyon Road corridor. Fred is also an avid watercolor scene painter with many of his paintings in private and public collections, including extensive representation of his work at the Santa Barbara Four Seasons Biltmore Hotel. Fred currently serves on the Upper East Association Board and is the chair of the City of Santa Barbara’s Single Family Design Review Board.
Deb Trauntvein. Deb Trauntvein was born and raised in Santa Barbara, still living in the same house she grew up in that her father built in 1955. She went to Roosevelt Elementary, La Cumbre Junior High and graduated from SBHS in 1972. She moved to the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, to further her love of surfing in bigger waves. This is where she became a lifelong certified professional lifeguard. On returning to Santa Barbara in 1978 she furthered her career and was hired as Instructor/Director of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department’s Junior Lifeguard Program, as well as swim coach/lifeguard at many private membership clubs in Santa Barbara and Montecito. During this time, she and Tom, her husband now of 40 years, raised their three sons who are now adults! Deb is currently a caregiver for Senior Helpers of Santa Barbara. She first became involved with UEA as a greeter at the annual meetings. She loves our neighborhood and is happy to still call the upper eastside “home.”