AWC Santa Barbara

📣🌟🏆THANK YOU to news for its wonderful coverage of our 2026 Women of Achievement awards luncheon honoring these four social justice advocates and community leaders!✨

🔗See link below:

https://www.edhat.com/news/18th-annual-premier-santa-barbara-womens-event-honors-four-civic-engagement-leaders/

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❤️🌟🏆A great time was had by all at our 18th annual Women of Achievement Awards luncheon, “Powerful Voices, Purposeful Change — Women Leading Through Civic Engagement.”🌟

🏆This year AWC~SB recognized four outstanding communications leaders in the Santa Barbara for their passion and commitment as their work and leadership continue to strengthen and uplift Santa Barbara’s immigrant community!✨

Our esteemed honorees are:

🙌 aka Teresa Alvarez, Executive Director of the Carpinteria Children’s Project

🌟Primitiva Hernandez, Executive Director of

👏 , Assistant Dean, Civic and Community Engagement, Division of Student Affairs, UCSB
and
⚖️Julissa Peña, Executive Director of the Center

❤️Special thanks to stellar event emcee and veteran panel monitor, who led a riveting discussion!✨

❤️A hearty thank you to each and every Sponsor and contributor who made this annual event a success by supporting and connecting with our vibrant SB community of women communicators!

❤️Much appreciation to WOA committee planner/leader extraordinaire and her team in their tireless commitment to creating a memorable event for all ~ and making it look easy! And as always, much gratitude to AWC President aka Ana Papakian for her strong, steady leadership!👏

🙏Deeply grateful to AWC Founder Lois Phillips, PhD for her vision and ongoing engagement in growing AWC~SB into the vital organization of pro women communicators that it is today!

🌟Please see our AWC~SB page for many more photos.✨

📸Photo Credit: the wonderful 💥

Not a member? JOIN US here:👇
🔗LINK IN BIO:
https://awcsb.org/become-a-member/

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💥🏆✨2026 Women of Achievement Honoree SPOTLIGHT!

Introducing honoree Hernandez!

👉Get to know Primitiva and her extensive work in civic engagement through her dedication to immigrant rights and supporting the undocumented community!

Primitiva Hernandez, Executive Director (She, Her, Ella)
👉Primitiva is the Executive Director of , serving Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. An immigrant from Mexico and a DACA recipient, she has lived in the California Central Coast since childhood and is the daughter
of farmworker parents. Her personal experience as an undocumented college student and working parent fuels her dedication to immigrant rights and supporting the undocumented community.

🌟Through the 805 Immigrant Rapid Response Network, Primitiva oversees a tri-county volunteer network that monitors and documents immigration enforcement activity, operates a 24/7 community hotline, conducts rapid response and “Know Your Rights” training, and coordinates mutual aid support for families facing detention and deportation. Under her leadership, hundreds of trained volunteers stand ready to protect community members and connect them with critical resources.

💥With over ten years of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector and local housing authorities, Primitiva was recently accepted into the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality Institute and currently serves as Chair for the Santa Barbara County Climate Collaborative. She holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Antioch University Santa Barbara and an associate’s degree from Santa Barbara City College.

🎊We look forward to celebrating Primitiva and her sister nominees at our 18th Women of Achievement awards luncheon, Thursday, May 7th, 11:30am ~ 1:30pm.

➡️For more info, 🔗LINK IN BIO & below to Purchase tickets today!👇

https://awcsb.org/women-of-achievement-awards-2026/