The Santa Barbara Women Of Achievement Awards Luncheon

This is hands down one of my very favorite awards events of the year! I've been photographing for the Santa Barbara Chapter of the Association For Women In Communication for more years than I can count and the "Women Of Achievement" Awards Luncheon never ceases to inspire and draw some of the biggest movers and shakers in Santa Barbara. 

The Association For Women In Communication's 2015 Santa Barbara Holiday Party

Association For Women In Communication's Santa Barbara Chapter
2015 Holiday Party

I love this time of the year and especially connecting with fellow AWC-SB friends in celebration of the holidays! Please feel free to share the link to this page on FB with your friends as well. Just cut and paste the address to this page from your browser and share on FB. 

Happy Holidays to you and congratulations to "Member of the Year" Lynn K. Jones and "Nonprofit of the Year" Villa Majella.

AWC-SB'S "Women Of Achievement" Annual Awards Luncheon 2015

Enjoy the slideshow at the bottom of this post. Feel free to "like" this page above, share this link on FB, and leave your comments about this super fun day of celebrating Santa Barbara women achievers!

The Association For Women In Communication's Santa Barbara Chapter
Annual "Women Of Achievement" Luncheon
2015 Location: The Santa Barbara Women's Club
Wednesday June 3rd, 2015

AWC-SB's Annual "Women Of Achievement" luncheon has always been an inspiring event for me to both attend and to photograph every year. It has been an honor being a part of this incredible organization and it's no surprise--with our incredible population of heavy hitting women in Santa Barbara--that we have the fastest growing chapter in this nation! 



This year's luncheon honored two very deserving women who have both had quite an influence both nationally and internationally:  local environmental activist and community leader Sigrid Wright of the Community Environmental Council and author and public speaker Marilyn Tam of The Happiness Choice. Also honored was AWC-SB Poet and "Member Of The Year" Perie Longo who wrote some pretty fabulous and witty poetic tributes for both of our honorees. 

Preceding two inspiring talks by Wright and Tam, SB Mayor Helene Schneider and Jan Ingram (long-time friend of Tam) gave some wonderful introductions to the honorees that were both humorous and thoughtful. And Sloane Reali, public speaker, vocalist, and vocal teacher, rocked the house with her always fun emcee skills. 



I always come out from this annual luncheon feeling inspired, proud to a woman in this incredible community, and motivated to think bigger with all of my dreams!

Congratulations to the three of you and thank you for all that you have done for our community!

Enjoy the slideshow below and feel free to "like" this page and share it on FB as well. 

Enjoy the slideshow below. Click on the "play" arrow button in the middle of the box. If the sound doesn't come on at first, then refresh your browser window and click on "play" button again. Enjoy! Feel free to share this link with others. 

Santa Barbara's Association For Women In Communication Annual "Women Of Achievement" Awards Luncheon

Enjoy the slideshow at the bottom of this post. Feel free to share this link and leave your comments about this super fun day of celebrating Santa Barbara women achievers!

This is always an inspiring event for me to both attend and to photograph. It has been an honor being a part of this incredible organization--The Association For Women In Communication--and it's no surprise with our incredible population of heavy hitting women in SB--that we have the fastest growing chapter in the nation!

This year's Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon honored two very deserving women who have both had quite an influence on the media coverage in SB as well as our academic community. Bravo to both of you, Marianne and Nancy! Kate Carter is also an amazing woman honored with the "Lois Philips Founders Award." 

It was a special treat for me as well seeing the Marianne and the staff at The Independent being honored. When I first moved to SB almost 15 years ago, I interned and then wrote for them as a freelancer. I will always have a special place in my heart for The Independent "Family!"

And AWC-SB has had a special "home" at Antioch for almost two years now and I've had many close friends attend this excellent school. 

Congratulations to the three of you and thank you for all that you have done for our community!

Enjoy the slideshow below. Click on the "play" arrow button in the middle of the box. If the sound doesn't come on at first, then refresh your browser window and click on "play" button again. Enjoy! Feel free to share this link with others. 

AWC-SB's Annual Holiday And Awards Party At Municipal Winemaker

*If you enjoyed this slideshow please "like" and share it with your friends both in and outside of AWC-SB! 

Big congratulations to AWC-SB Member Of The Year Winner Lisa Angle of "Ninety Degrees Media"  and Nonprofit Of The Year "Storyteller Children's Center."

Happy Holidays to you all!

Association For Women In Communication's Annual "Women Of Achievement Awards"

“I've come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that's as unique as a fingerprint - and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you. ” 
― Oprah Winfrey

*MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE FABULOUS SLIDESHOW AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS BLOG. If you were at this event, there's a 90% chance you're in this slideshow! 

*Please feel free to leave your comments at the end of this thread. If you mention someone, make sure to "tag" them so they're aware of the post. 


There are moments (and I'm lucky enough to have them more often than not) when I feel truly blessed and grateful to be doing exactly what I'm doing: photographing, mingling with, and working with AMAZING women. On Wed. June 5th I had the sweet privilege of photographing a truly inspiring and uplifting event: The Association For Women In Communication's Annual "Women Of Achievement Awards." 




The Montecito Ballroom brimmed over with an amazing, multi-talented group of women and men who are movers and shakers here in Santa Barbara from Councilwoman Cathy Murillo to Founder of Women's Festivals of SB Patty DeDominic to CEOs, lawyers, chefs, and authors......all gathered to honor award-winning journalist and top-selling author Kathleen Sharp (Mr. and Mrs. Hollywood, Blood Medicine, and more) and Marsha Bailey, the Founder and CEO of Women's Economic Ventures, a SB-based non-profit which offers micro loans and self-employment training to male and female entrepreneurs (I'm a proud WEV Alumni and supremely grateful to Marsha and her hard-working staff for providing our community with an organization that has had such far reaching impact). 


After a beautiful and poetic tribute by AWC-SB Poet Laureate Perie Longo, both Sharp and Bailey treated us to individually unique speeches which touched upon humor, humility, and gratitude. Both women fittingly received standing ovations for their awards and what they have contributed to Santa Barbara.

It was one of MAGICAL days--between talking to poets, life coaches, visionaries, and designers--that filled me with that brilliant drive to go  DO REALLY, REALLY GOOD BIG STUFF IN THE WORLD WITH MY SUPERPOWER WOMAN POWERS! 

It was also a poignant reminder that it's not enough to simply do our best. It's important that we also take the time to reflect and celebrate each other's successes. 

As it turns out, there's enough abundance to spread all around. 

Our sisters' successes are also our own.

Here's to celebrating each and every one of these beautiful moments! 

BIG KUDOS TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE: Lisa Angle, Kathleen Barry, Karen Feeney, Lynn K. Jones, Lois Phillips, and Cindy Faith Swain. Well done!!!

*Enjoy the slideshow! If the music doesn't come on when you click play, refresh your browser and click "play" again. 

*Prints are available by clicking on the gallery here: http://rsthurston.zenfolio.com/awcluncheon6/13

*If you're a staff member or speaker and would like to ask about access to some of these images, please send me an email at: rachel@rsthurston.com 

"From Ink To Internet: Honoring Visionaries In Communication"

Honorees Starshine Roshell (Award-Winning Journalist) and Lynda Weinman (Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Lynda.com)

5th Annual Women of Achievement Awards Luncheon

The Association For Women In Communication (AWC) Luncheon

Santa Barbara, CA

President, Kathleen Barry

by r.s.thurston photography

"Sure God created man before woman. But then you always make a rough draft before the final masterpiece."

~Author Unknown

Don't be intimidated by the long title. All you need to know about the event is this: There are some truly incredible movers and shakers in this town...an overwhelming number of which are women. This gorgeous luncheon (held at the sweet and intimate Mar Monte along the ocean) was a powerhouse of extraordinary women and men from throughout Santa Barbara. Although the main purpose of the luncheon (besides the customary networking) was to honor the multi-talented, local media celebs Starshine Roshell (award-winning journalist) and Lynda Weinman (of Lynda.com among many other achievements)...both of whom are incredibly warm, funny, and magnetic, the room seemed to be brimming over with talent, drive, creativity, and passion.

Former Women of Achievement Honorees, Deborah Hutchison (2008 honoree and Founder of Gutsy Gals) and Marcia Meier (2010 honoree, award-winning writer and former director of the S.B. Writer's Conference) introduced Starshine and Lynda for their awards. However, it was hard not to be awed by the extraordinary women and men throughout the room (in no particular order): Sharon Siegel, (District Director from Congresswoman Lois Capps' office), Helene Schneider (beloved mayor and awesome woman herself), Marianne Partridge (Editor-In-Chief of The Independent), Roman Baratiak (Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures Series), Patty DeDominic (Women's Festivals Founder and Founder of PDQ Careers Group), Janet Wolf (Second District Supervisor), Jerry Roberts (prize-winner journalist and former Editor and Publish of the SB News Press), Jennifer Jaqua (Founder and CEO of Jaqua Beauty)...and oh-so-many more!

As the old adage goes, "Life is short and art is long." So go to it, Ladies!

A big thank you to Lisa Angle (videographer) and Kathleen Barry for bringing me on board this year to photograph this event!

Enjoy the slideshow! *If the music doesn't come on when you begin the slideshow, please refresh your web page and click "play" again.