Native Plant Conservation Gets Boost with Four New Trustees Choosing to Support Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Mission

Valerie Hoffman, Gelaré Macon, Eileen White Read, and Linda Stirling bring their expertise and passion forward to ensure biodiversity thrives across California’s central coast.

Santa Barbara, Calif. – January 30, 2025 – Santa Barbara Botanic Garden proudly announces the appointment of four esteemed community leaders – Valerie Hoffman, Gelaré Macon, Eileen White Read, and Linda Stirling – to its Board of Trustees. Each brings unique experiences and a shared commitment to advancing the Garden’s mission to conserve California’s native plants and habitats, while also inspiring public engagement with our natural environment.

Valerie Hoffman: Legal Expertise and a Commitment to Native Plant Conservation
Valerie Hoffman brings over four decades of legal experience and leadership to her role on the Garden’s Board. As a partner at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, a global law firm, Valerie has been a trailblazer in employment law, specializing in issues of pay equity, diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as risk management. She has founded and led significant initiatives, such as the firm’s federal contract compliance practice and People Analytics group, while serving in key management roles.

Valerie is no stranger to the Garden, having previously served as a trustee and board chair. Her current board roles with The Land Trust for Santa Barbara County and the Los Padres Forest Association demonstrate her continued dedication to preserving the region’s natural landscapes. Her return to Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s Board of Trustees will build on her longstanding commitment to the Garden’s conservation and educational goals.

Gelaré Macon: A Planner for Sustainable Communities
Gelaré Macon brings nearly two decades of expertise in land-use planning and environmental sustainability as vice president and principal planner at Flowers & Associates, Inc., a leading civil engineering and planning firm. Her work includes developing innovative solutions for complex zoning, housing production, sustainable agriculture, and recreational development projects along the central coast.

Gelaré has served on the board of the Coastal Housing Coalition and has contributed to workforce housing solutions and community development policymaking. A mother of two, she is an active volunteer and is deeply committed to creating sustainable communities.

Eileen White Read: A Leader in Nonprofit Communications
Eileen White Read, a retired nonprofit CEO and a former Wall Street Journal reporter, is a freelance writer/editor, board member, and a University of California-certified Master Gardener. After retiring from the Journal, Eileen served as a communications project director at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C., and as a communications consultant specializing in international NGOs. She and her husband Charles have maintained a Santa Barbara residence since 1993, and her writing about environmental and housing issues has appeared in several local media. She serves on the Huntington Library’s Board of Governors Education and Volunteers Committee and has been a member of its Society of Fellows for 35 years.

Eileen’s current board service includes Hands Across Montecito, Santa Barbara Action for Community Transformation (SB-ACT), and the Santa Barbara County Human Services Commission. She was awarded a Knight-Bagehot Fellowship in Business Journalism at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. 

Linda Stirling: An Educator and Advocate for Conservation
Linda Stirling is a seasoned educator with deep roots in Santa Barbara’s nonprofit community. Over the years, she has been instrumental in the success of various educational and charitable organizations. Linda is perhaps best known for her long tenure at Peabody Charter School, where her impact earned her the Tri-County GATE Council’s Educator of the Year award in 2016.

Linda’s leadership extends beyond the classroom. She has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, where she played a key role in advancing nationally recognized educational programs, and she was a founding member of the local chapter of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Linda holds a master’s degree in education from UCLA and has a longstanding personal connection with Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. As a former docent and graduate of the inaugural UC Master Gardeners of Santa Barbara County, Linda brings a deep passion for conservation. Her hands-on work with the Channel Islands Restoration group, where she has dedicated time to seed gathering, invasive species removal, and planting rare seedlings, makes her an invaluable asset to the Garden’s mission.

A Shared Vision for the Future
Reflecting the Garden’s commitment to conservation, education, and community impact, the combined leadership of Hoffman, Macon, White Read, and Stirling will help guide the organization into its centennial year and an exciting new chapter. Together with the Garden’s 10 additional Trustees, they will focus on growing the native plant movement, regenerating ecosystem health, and building a legacy committed to preserving California’s native plants for future generations.

“The Garden is fortunate to welcome Valerie, Gelaré, Eileen, and Linda to its Board of Trustees,” said Steve Windhager, executive director of Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. “Their leadership, knowledge, and dedication to the Garden’s mission to conserve native plants and habitats will be invaluable as we countdown to our centennial year in 2026. With their support, we’ll be ushering in a new phase of growth and impact along California’s central coast.”

For more information about the Garden’s full board of trustees, please visit: https://sbbotanicgarden.org/about/team/