Happy New Year!

Jonathan,

I'm sending out this update to wrap up 2023 and highlight what I've been up to this year (political + nonpolitical).

I emailed about a year ago that I was being sworn in to my third 4-year term as a Trustee on the Santa Barbara Community College District Board (9 years have now flown by!). At that same meeting I was elected by the rest of the board as the Board President for what was going to be a consequential year for the college -- namely the selection of a permanent Superintendent/President. My main goal for the last year has been to lay the groundwork for needed stability at SBCC, and I believe that we have accomplished that as a board.

Two weeks ago my colleagues on the Board of Trustees voted to continue my service as the Board President for another year as we transition into our first full year with our new Superintendent/President, a vote of confidence I am proud of and do not take lightly.

Here are some highlights of what our Board of Trustees accomplished at SBCC this year:

Hired Dr. Erika Endrijonas as the new Superintendent/President of SBCC, she is a seasoned leader who got her California Community College experience started at SBCC.
Fostered a culture of respect and collaboration among the Board of Trustees, disagreeing when necessary but doing so without being disagreeable.
Approved an updated, forward looking, and action-oriented Resolution 18 Affirming our Commitment for Black and African American Students, Faculty, and Staff (thank you to Trustees Gullap-Moore, Stoddard, and Everett for leading this update).
Under the leadership of Board Vice President Anna Everett, we presented on our last 3 years of work on Resolution 18 at ACCT, the national community college conference.
Approved an agreement with the Commercial Fishermen of Santa Barbara for the Ocean Careers Initiative, aiming to support the local 'Blue Economy' through academic and industry partnership.
Started our Budget Sustainability Workgroup to achieve long-term fiscal health for the college (that I serve on alongside Trustee Marsha Croninger).
Approved a transition plan for our new Superintendent/President to ensure a smooth introduction to the college and community.
Approved fair raises for our employees at SBCC, including specific measures to ensure our lowest paid employees received the most benefit as they deal with the high cost of living in Santa Barbara.
Approved a resolution in support of Supervisor Laura Capps' 8 point plan for Isla Vista Bluff Safety.
Approved our SBCC Strategic Plan for the future of the college.

This year the SBCC Board also nominated me to serve on the statewide California Community College Trustees Board, a role decided upon by a vote at each of the 72 local boards across the state. I was successful in that election by earning the support of 35 out of the 72 local boards and now serve as the youngest elected member of the CCCT board.

For 2024 I'm looking forward to:

Continuing our transition plan for Superintendent/President Endrijonas.
Implementing the recommendations of the Budget Sustainability Workgroup.
Holding discussions and study on a potential bond measure for SBCC.
Monitoring the outcomes of the updated Resolution 18.
Serving as a panelist for the Dual Enrollment Summit at SBCC and at the California Community College League Legislative Conference, both in January.
Receiving the results of our housing survey and exploring student/workforce housing options.

Pictures speak a thousand words so here are some to show what else happened this year in my role as the SBCC Board President:

I shook hands with hundreds of students as they crossed the stage to graduate from SBCC, with over 1,200 students earning their degree or certificate in 2023.

I conferred over 50 Adult High School Diplomas / GEDs. An inspirational day seeing these students from every walk of life, many with hard journeys, finishing this part of their education and planning for the next step.

Our new statewide Chancellor of the California Community Colleges - Sonya Christian! She's now the leader of the biggest public higher education system in the country. I loved her motto for the Community Colleges "our time is now."

I and other SBCC Board of Trustees members welcomed our new Superintendent/President Dr. Erika Endrijonas for her first day on the job.

Left to right: Dr. Charlotte Gullap-Moore, Ellen Stoddard, Marsha Croninger, Jonathan Abboud, Dr. Erika Endrijonas (Some of our colleagues couldn’t join due to already scheduled trips) Photo credit: Trustee Gullap-Moore

In August the Santa Barbara Metropolitan District, with funding from SBCAG & CalTrans, launched the 19x bus route from Carpinteria to SBCC. I spoke at the press conference launching the new line:

“We are thrilled with the launch of the 19x, a new express route that can help put an end to the soul sucking traffic between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara City College,” said Jonathan Abboud, President of SBCC Board of Trustees. “This is big win for our neighbors, SBCC students and employees, and the environment.”

After two years of exemplary service as our Interim Superintendent/President, the Board of Trustees said farewell to Dr. Kindred Murillo as she officially retired. We were so lucky to have her leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenges we faced from 2021-2023.

Left to right: myself, Dr. Anna Everett, Dr. Peter Haslund, Ellen Stoddard, Dr Kindred Murillo, Robert Miller, Marsha Croninger, Kate Parker, Dr. Charlotte Gullap-Moore

Let's get to the fun updates now!

The big one is I started a food review + cooking Instagram page called "I'm All Abboud Food." I focus on reviews of restaurants in Santa Barbara & LA Counties along with the food I cook (mainly sourced from the Isla Vista Food Cooperative & Shalhoob Meat Company). It is purely for fun at this point.

My top cooking accomplishment this year was refining my beef birria recipe, I made it at least once a month all year and I think I landed at a deliciously balanced result. My chicken shawarma also was perfected this year. Still figuring out what to focus on for next year, I'm taking ideas!

My top restaurant of the year continues to be Industrial Eats in Buellton. It is, in my opinion, the best restaurant in California. I highly recommend everyone visit, the menu will be different every time. I've got pictures of several of the dishes on my Instagram page.

I won't list all the great media I watched this year except for Godzilla Minus One. It is not the campy style that many associate with Godzilla. It is a must see even if you’re not a Godzilla fan. The story, characters, themes, acting, cinematography, sound, everything was perfect. You really feel why it’s called “minus one.” After 38 films in the franchise this is the best one yet.

It won't be in theaters much longer but it is well worth the trip. I've been meaning to go for the third time!

This year I also went to weddings for dear friends, and it was my first time being a groomsman.

In July I attended the wedding of Michael and Rachel Fraser, who I went to Culver City High School with.

In September I was a groomsman in Royston and Selihah's wedding, which took place on the block our friend group grew up on (Alvira St.).

It's been a long email already! I have just two last notes for 2024 before signing off to enjoy New Year's Eve with family and friends.

In 2024 it will be the Class of 2014's 10 year reunion and UCSB All Gaucho Reunion weekend is 4/18-4/21, I hope to see you there.

In March 2024 I will be a candidate on the ballot in Santa Barbara County's 2nd Supervisorial District for the Santa Barbara Democratic Central Committee. A contribution would help in getting my message out -- I'll send a separate email about my candidacy another time.

If you prefer to hear about these things in podcast form, in May I joined Hong Lieu and Akil Hill on Vaquero Talks -- I talk about everything from the SBCC Board of Trustees, my favorite foods, and my favorite media.

DONATE HERE