CEC’s 2025 Green Gala

Saturday, September 27, 2025

The Bakery Block in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone
120 Gray Avenue

5:00 - 6:00 p.m.  Cocktail Party and VIP Reception

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.  Seated Dinner and Live Auction

8:00 - 10:00 p.m. After Party (21+)

Celebrate With Us!

CEC’s 2025 Green Gala will return to the Santa Barbara Funk Zone's newest event venue, featuring a seated dinner of climate-smart cuisine and beverages, local entertainment, and a live auction, with ample opportunities to connect and network with other climate-focused community members.

Don’t miss this evening of resilience, strength, and climate action.

2025 Green Gala Keynote Speaker
Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh
Los Angeles County Fire Department Public Information Officer

Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh will share inspiring stories from the frontlines of how communities like Santa Barbara provided resources and refuge during the devastating L.A. fires.

About CEC’s GREEN GALA

The Green Gala is CEC’s annual fundraising event, attended by more than 250 community leaders, philanthropists, and climate activists. Proceeds from the event fund CEC’s critical work protecting California’s Central Coast, ensuring that our region is a tangible, real-world model of what healthy, equitable, climate-safe communities can look like.

The Green Gala supports:

  • Climate leadership programs, including CEC's Climate Stewards course, youth workshops, and free public events at our Environmental Hub

  • Wildfire resilience projects designed to prevent and reduce the risk of wildfires

  • Heat action plans to ensure outdoor workers are safe from extreme heat events

  • Personalized assistance through our Electrify Your Life program to ensure disadvantaged communities have access to affordable EVs and green technology  

  • Advocacy for an oil and gas phaseout in Santa Barbara County

This year's theme is resilience, a testament to the strength of our community through environmental crises and the uncertain times ahead. As a symbol of our resilience, we are featuring the Matilija poppy, known for its drought tolerance and ability to thrive in harsh conditions.

2025 GREEN GALA COMMITTEE

CO-CHAIRS

Jennifer Drucker Jessica McLernon Michelle Weinman

HONORARY COMMITTEE

Dorothy Largay Sara Miller McCune Natalie Orfalea Stacy Pulice

SPONSORS

Sponsor the Green Gala and become a leading Central Coast advocate for healthy, equitable, climate-safe communities.

EVENT Partners

Acme Hospitality
Cascade Mountain
Efficient Events
Islay Events
Moby Dick Restaurant
The Lab

Learn more about our 2024 Green Gala, where we raised over $100,000 to support our critical community work.