Cause Driven Leadership

Every day, we work side by side with our neighbors to make sure all youth, regardless of income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. The Youth and Family Services (YFS) Board of Managers is committed to nurturing the potential of youth, promoting health and well-being, and fostering a sense of social responsibility. 

If you are interested in learning more about volunteering with Youth and Family Services please contact the Amy Tovias at amy.tovias@ciymca.org.

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Guest Speaker: Jill Sharkey, PhD

Dr. Sharkey is a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara and is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. In addition to teaching and mentoring the next generation of researchers and faculty, she is heavily engaged in community-based research designed to understand optimal family, school, justice, welfare, and other community responses to vulnerable youth and young adults. For example, her research has transformed the juvenile justice system for girls by improving services while reducing the juvenile hall population. She has also studied the impact of community-based wrap-around care for those who have been commercially sexually exploited. Dr. Sharkey is on the Evaluation Subcommittee of the Santa Barbara County Human Trafficking Task Force, a member of the South Coast Youth Safety Partnership, and an elected member of the Santa Barbara County Juvenile Justice Coordinating Council. In 2021, Dr. Sharkey and her research team was awarded the Community Collaboration Award by the Channel Islands YMCA Youth & Family Services Branch.

Honorary Chair: John Savrnoch

John Savrnoch was elected District Attorney of Santa Barbara County in June 2022. As a career public servant, District Attorney Savrnoch is dedicated to fulfilling the primary function of the District Attorney’s Office, which is to pursue truth and justice by employing the highest ethical standards in vigorously prosecuting the guilty, protecting the innocent, and preventing crime. District Attorney Savrnoch joined the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office in January 2015 as a Deputy District Attorney in Lompoc. In just over a year, he was promoted to Chief Deputy District Attorney. Most recently, John served as the Assistant District Attorney, where he oversaw all South County attorneys and cases. John led the office through several major innovations and initiatives, and helped design and implement positive community programs.

District Attorney Savrnoch believes that public safety is a right we all share, and that every person in Santa Barbara County deserves to live in a safe neighborhood, free from violence. Throughout his career, District Attorney Savrnoch has worked to implement alternative justice programs designed to divert individuals from the criminal justice system and help offenders understand the consequences of their actions in order to reduce recidivism and protect public safety. As the elected District Attorney of Santa Barbara County, District Attorney Savrnoch brings his extensive knowledge and experience as an administrator, career prosecutor, and community leader to this most honorable office, working tirelessly to keep the people of Santa Barbara County safe and ensure that we have a fair, effective, and efficient criminal justice system.