Alexa Newman

Social Clubhouse

Sponsors: Chelsea Rifkin, Evan Berger, Nadine Gilles, Jeff Jordano

Alexa first came to Santa Barbara as a teenager to attend UCSB volleyball camps, and it was love at first sight. She went on to attend UCSB on a Regent’s Scholarship. Over the next few decades, she lived between Santa Barbara and the Bay Area, first studying Architecture at UC Berkeley, then pursuing a career in design. Along the way, she also lived in rural Chile and Auckland, New Zealand, while traveling to surf and study architecture in various corners of the world. Seven years ago, Alexa returned to Santa Barbara from Marin County with her young family, and she now considers the city 100% home, surrounded by a cherished community of friends and professional colleagues. Initially, she continued working with Backen Gillam Kroeger on high-end residential and hospitality projects, including the Ojai Farmhouse and Solage Calistoga. Later, she joined Studio William Hefner as a project architect, where she led the design of several private residences currently under construction. Today, Alexa balances her thriving architectural practice with raising two sons, who are in kindergarten and third grade at Laguna Blanca.

Outside of work, Alexa is deeply engaged in her community. She’s volunteered for Laguna Blanca's lunch

program for three years, coaches her younger son's basketball team at the YMCA, and is active in the

AIA Women in Architecture group. When she finds a moment of free time, she enjoys surfing,

swimming, and hiking on Santa Barbara’s front-country trails, lap swimming at Los Baños, or attending

yoga classes (Emma Patrick is a favorite instructor).

Looking ahead, Alexa’s next adventure will be traveling with her sons to visit extended family in Chile

and reconnecting with the many far-flung friends she's made throughout her travels.

Mark Lewis

Non-Resident

Sponsors: Fiona Harden, Janna Price, Lauren Katz, Ryan Fell

Mark is originally from Pittsburgh but moved west to attend school in Colorado. He spent a semester in Scotland, playing the old course 70 times. Shortly after college he enrolled in culinary school where he was able to work at some of the top restaurants in New York City. He eventually received his master’s in hospitality from Ecole Hotellier de Lausanne in Switzerland. Mark then moved back to Colorado where he opened a restaurant in Aspen.

Mark met his husband, Jonathan Lewis, shortly after and quickly became engulfed in his philanthropic work. He left his job to become vice chair of Jonathan’s foundation which focuses on youth empowerment and provides opportunities for youth to find out who they are and do it purposefully. Jonathan passed away in 2023 after a long battle with brain cancer and Mark now runs the Jonathan D and Mark C. Lewis Foundation. Mark is passionate about golf and looks forward to spending time at La Cumbre.

David & Susan Sanborn 

Equity (Current Non-Resident)

Sponsors: Fiona Harden, Ken Badish, Paul Portney, Lauren Katz

David is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota. After college, he worked as a youth counselor before becoming a GED teacher at Kennedy-King College. He moved back to Minnesota, where he started his own commercial real-estate business.

Susan is originally from North Dakota and attended the University of Minnesota. She worked as a paralegal for Eco Lab and Rollerblade before meeting and marrying David. The couple have two grown sons, Henry and Leo, and enjoy spending their winters in Santa Barbara to escape the Minnesota snow.

Haig Fisher 

Equity (Current Social Tennis)

Sponsors:  Jeff Nelson, Dick Lamb, Jeff & Noel Lucky Ris, Jason Spievak

Haig has had the good fortune to live in Santa Barbara his entire adult life. Growing up in L.A, he attended UCSB as a college freshman and has been here ever since.

In 1998, he founded Trademarks, Etc. where he helped companies and entrepreneurs trademark their names, slogans, and logos. He has two grown children: his daughter, Dallas, is a registered nurse in Los Angeles, and his son, Chase, is the founder of Blenders Eyewear.

Haig’s passions are architecture and golf, and his goal is to once again shoot a score in the 80’s. 

Michael & Sarah Paskin 

Equity (Current Associate)

Sponsors: Jason Spievak, Joel Baer, Justin Anderson, Josh Macaluso

Michael and Sarah Paskin met while attending UCSB and have since spent 25 years in the Santa Barbara community. They are the proud parents of their daughter, Reese, who is a junior at San Marcos High School and their son, Jack, who is a freshman at Santa Barbara High. Michael is the Founder & CEO of The Paskin Group, a real estate investment and management company. Michael and Sarah co-founded The Paskin Family Foundation, which is focused on supporting and strengthening local organizations. The entire family enjoys staying active and enjoys all that the club has to offer.

Drew & Alexandria Ferris 

Equity (Current Associate)

Sponsors: Matt Keenan, Doug Katsev, Bruce Reichard, Justin Anderson

Dr. Drew Ferris, an esteemed orthodontist and owner of Ferris Orthodontic Group, is a leader in his field, lecturing nationally and internationally on innovative orthodontic treatments. His wife, Alexandria, is a dedicated nurse and proud mother to their three boys—Ford (5), Brooks (3), and Banks (1)—with a fourth child on the way. Drew has been an associate member since 2012 and Alexandria’s family have been long time members. The couple's story began at the gym at La Cumbre Country Club, where they met in 2014 and married three years later. Together, they are deeply involved in the Santa Barbara community, balancing their professional passions with an active family life.

Derek & Carolyn White

Equity

Sponsors:  Jane Lodas, Lauren Katz, Bob Kopf, Anna Friederich

Five years ago, Derek & Carolyn knew the time was right to leave their long-time East Coast life and embark on their “second half” life journey in Santa Barbara. Derek’s work afforded him the ability to lead the company from the West coast, where they have some business offices. Upon arrival, the Newcomers organization proved to be a fantastic way for them to meet new friends and get introduced to the attributes and activities connected with this wonderful part of the world. 

After his MBA in computer decision support systems, his profession, from day one, has been at the intersection of Marketing, Design & Technology. From the early years of introducing the personal computer throughout the business ecosystem to the later launch of some very early and notable Internet companies focused on college students, For the last twelve years, he has served as President and CEO of a portfolio of Advertising and Marketing Agencies serving primarily Fortune 1000 clients. They both love the outdoors, good food, and the laid-back Santa Barbara lifestyle.

Brian & Liz Hammer

Equity

Sponsors: Ryan Fell, Dave Amerson, Mike Paschke, Josh Macaluso 

Brian is a Partner at HKA Global, Inc., a worldwide consulting firm that provides accounting, economic, and construction consulting services. He provides accounting and economic damages analysis and expert witness testimony on commercial and government contract disputes. Brian graduated from Westmont College in 1984 with an Economics and Business degree and received an MBA in 1988 from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. For the last 35 years, he has worked and been a partner in several consulting firms, including starting (and selling) two firms with his business partners. 

Liz & Brian met at Westmont College and have been married for 38 years. She is a homemaker, a speaker to women’s groups, and a member of the Board of Directors at Mount Hermon Christian Conference Center. They have four children (all adults) and 3 grandchildren. They lived in Santa Monica for 34 years, where they raised their children, were heavily involved in their local church and various youth sports leagues, and participated in the start-up of a private Christian high school in Santa Monica. 

They moved to Santa Barbara in 2020 and are loving their new life here. They attend Ocean Hills Church in downtown Santa Barbara and have enjoyed reconnecting with long-time friends who live in town. Brian is currently phasing down work towards retirement at the end of 2025 and spending his free time golfing, working in the garden, and spending time with family. 

Cassie Brungarth

Social Tennis

Sponsors: Stephanie Slosser, Robert Forouzandeh, Walter Hishmeh, Robyn Parker

Cassie Brungarth is a young business professional with a passion for caregiving, both young and old. With over 12 years of experience in the elite staffing business, she has successfully owned and operated her own multi-city company - Cassie's Cardinals. She was born and raised in Ohio and currently finds herself traveling back and forth from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles as she grows her network. She is a graduate of Otterbein University with a degree in business and was the captain of her college tennis team. She enjoys golf, tennis, sailing, skiing, and hanging out with her friends and family.

Elizabeth Cholawsky & Anthony Bladon 

Social Clubhouse

Sponsors: Dennis Houghton, Jeff Devine, Barbara Levi, Tom Hopkins

Elizabeth, along with her husband Anthony, have been living, working, and playing in Santa Barbara since 1996. Elizabeth has led many technology companies on the South Coast, including executive roles at Digital Sound, Connected Systems, Citrix, and most recently as CEO of HG Insights. In 2023 she was named Executive of the Year by the South Coast Business & Technology Awards. She holds a PhD in Political Science with a concentration in Econometrics from the University of Minnesota as well as a BA from Franklin & Marshall College.

She gives back to the community as a Board member of Partners in Education and as an advisor to the Santa Barbara High School Computer Academy. She is a passionate triathlete and has competed in the Santa Barbara Triathlon 22 times and swims in our ocean year-round.

Anthony has been a Santa Barbara resident since 1988, when he arrived from Oxford University to take up a new commercial career in technology. At Oxford, he was a Fellow of Wolfson College, Chair of the Computing Teaching Centre, and University Lecturer in Phonetics. For brief spells he also taught linguistics at UCSB and UCLA. He was Editor of the Journal of Phonetics and author of 55 academic papers.

In the US he became a software executive building speech recognition and telecommunications products at startups including Digital Sound Corporation which went public here, and at Ericsson here and in Stockholm. He is the holder of two US patents in speech technology.

Anthony’s main pastime and passion today is as bass guitarist and vocalist in the Santa Barbara band Snapshot, which plays rock ’n’ roll at weekly events in the city, in private senior living facilities as well as in public concerts. He is also an active swimmer, biker and hiker, leading a regular hiking group in the Los Padres front country.

Joyce Gordon & Eric Remais

Non-Resident

Sponsors: Jane Lodas, Josh Macaluso, Mike Nicolais, Lauren Katz

Joyce grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and went to work for The Capital Group right after high school. She started night school to earn her BS (1983) and MBA (1986) from USC so she could move up in the company. It was a very collegial environment, and she recently retired from the firm after 47 years. Her roles included bank analyst, portfolio manager and president of several of their mutual funds. In 1994 she and Eric relocated to Sun Valley, ID which has been their primary residence for 30 years 

Eric grew up in Anaheim. He and his father bought a Taco Bell franchise the day he graduated from high school. They ran the business for 15 years and did very well. He then went to work for Torco Oil promoting oil products for the NHRA Drag Racing circuit. Eric also worked on a pit crew for race boats. He later drove school buses for disabled children in West Covina. 



The couple look forward to having a part time residence in Hope Ranch and hope it will be a wonderful way to meet locals and play golf.

Michele Gammer & Michael Salter

Social Tennis

Sponsors: Toby Myerson, Karen Warshaw, Jack Krouskup, Gillian Murales

Both Andy & Michele are accomplished lawyers based in Wyoming. They split their time between there and Santa Barbara. Andy has been a trial lawyer for over 43 years, and now primarily arbitrates contract, construction, and commercial disputes for the American Arbitration Association in Wyoming and surrounding states. Michele concentrates her practice on mediation and arbitration and workplace investigations.

In his spare time, Andy regularly hikes, bikes and skis, and enjoys tending his garden and greenhouse. Michele loves to swim and play the piano.