UCSB women’s tennis home opener set for Feb. 12 HONER

Continued from Page A3 the 10th ranked partnership in the country to help UCSB steal the doubles point from the Tigers. In singles, Honer scored another point for the Gauchos by taking down the 43rd-ranked singles player in the country.

Isaacson started working at Jersey Mike’s 15 years ago, this Saturday.

In 2021, she opened her first Jersey Mike’s on Fairview Avenue in Goleta. Now, she owns 12 Jersey Mike’s (three locations in Santa Barbara and Goleta), and she chooses her locations carefully in order to give back to the community that supports her restaurants.

She has donated to nonprofits, and she is known for her generous support of many local schools and charities because of her business. Most recently, she raised money for San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara.

The Milestone Business Award was given to the Santa Barbara Zoo for reaching its 60th anniversary this year. Santa Barbara Zoo President & CEO Rich Block accepted the award.

The zoo just opened its newest habitat, the Australian Walkabout, which features kangaroos, wallabies and emus.

The zoo’s “Early Explorers” program became the first licensed outdoor preschool in California, becoming a trailblazing preschool program in the state to connect young children with nature.

In addition, last year, the Santa Barbara Zoo was recertified as an autism center. In 2022, the zoo employed more than 300 regular and seasonal staff members, and it gave back more than $200,000 to support families, schools and other nonprofits to ensure that the zoo is accessible to everyone.

Mr. Block expressed his gratitude to the community for its support.

The Hospitality Business of the Year award was presented to the Santa Barbara Adventure Co.

Founder Michael Cohen accepted the award after being introduced by Kathy Janega-Dykes, president and CEO of Visit Santa Barbara.

Mr. Cohen’s company is celebrating 25 years of being in business.

In addition to supporting the tourism industry, Santa Barbara Adventure Co. incorporates financial and logistical incentives to reuse, repair and reduce its carbon footprint through composting, electronic paperwork, recycling, zero waste reporting, waste management training and rewarding employees for zero waste practices.

The Community Business of the Year award was presented to Momentum WORK Inc., which provides a key bridge between local businesses who need a reliable workforce and people with disabilities who are able to contribute and want meaningful jobs.

Momentum WORK, Inc. was recently awarded a 3-Year CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities), accreditation that signals a service provider’s commitment to continually improving services, encouraging feedback and serving the community. Jake Lowry of Momentum WORK Inc. accepted the award on behalf of the organization.

The Green Business of the Year was given to BEGA North America. Accepting the award were Shawn Webb and Ivan Gregory.

BEGA invested more than $4 million in solar energy production to power its electrical needs at the Carpinteria campus, eliminating reliance on traditional sources of electricity and reducing its carbon footprint by 903 metric tons annually. The solar energy project included 2,008 fully recyclable solar panels capable of generating an estimated annual production of 1,274,317 kWh of electricity.

The Nonprofit of the Year award was presented to the United Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County. The award was accepted by CEO Michael Baker.

In 2021, the clubs opened as full-day learning and enrichment centers while schools remained closed. They also started serving hot dinners at all club locations as part of the Zero Hunger Food Program. The clubs serve more than 3,000 youths annually, providing a safe, positive place to learn and grow. Promising their future resilience, the clubs claimed, “Whatever comes our way, we will be there.” email: cbeeghly@newspress.com