Scholarship Foundation Names Melinda Cabrera President

Melinda Cabrera, who as Vice President of United Way of Santa Barbara County helped spearhead the organization’s robust response to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been named president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.

“Melinda comes to us with an impressive record of community engagement and energetic leadership,” says foundation board chair Danna McGrew. “Our search committee was struck by her work ethic, her commitment to collaboration, and her obvious enthusiasm for efforts to improve the lives of area residents.”

A native of Apple Valley, California, Cabrera earned a bachelor’s degree in communications at Loyola Marymount University before being named assistant director of guest services at the Santa Barbara Zoo. She joined United Way in 2013, serving first as a community impact officer, and later as director of strategic partnerships from 2016 to 2020.

She succeeds Mary Dwyer, who has led the foundation as interim president and CEO since January.