New Members

Dr. Joe Aragon & Dr. Benita Tjoe

Regular

Sponsors:  Robert Wright, Jason Boyatt, Stuart Braverman, Sharon Jordano


Joe moved to Santa Barbara in 2005 and established the first Structural Heart Disease program on the Central Coast. He specializes in catheter-based treatments for complex heart disease, including coronary artery disease and valve replacement. His initial attraction to the community was rooted in his passion for golf, which he has been playing since the age of eight. During his training at UCLA, he frequently drove to Santa Barbara to play at local courses. He currently plays golf three times per week and travels extensively to play at various courses. He has also had the opportunity to play regularly at La Cumbre Country Club.



Dr. Benita Tjoe, who completed her internal medicine training at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, spent two years specializing in women’s heart disease at Cedars-Sinai before moving to Honolulu to finish her cardiology training. The couple got married in September 2024. Together, they have traveled widely to enjoy golf, and it is their goal to have a course near their home that will allow them to play regularly, despite their demanding work schedules in cardiology.

Richard & Michele Griffiths

Non-Resident

Sponsors:  Dave Zaniboni, Sharon Jordano, Lauren, Katz, Vito Bialla


Richard and Michele have been married for 23 years. They have a son, Auden (21), who is currently attending the University of St. Thomas in Houston, and a daughter, Lulu (18), who will begin attending the University of Colorado Boulder this fall.


Richard was born in Inverness, Scotland, and grew up and attended college in Edinburgh. After graduating, he worked as a civil engineer for several years before transitioning into subsea engineering, with a focus on deepwater projects. He has worked in subsea and offshore engineering for over 25 years.

Michele was born and raised in Houston and is a graduate of the University of Texas. Richard grew up in a golf-loving family and spent a lot of time on the course with his dad—though, despite all that time, he still considers himself a pretty terrible golfer. The couple has been searching for a retirement home in the Santa Barbara area since before COVID and hope to make a full-time move within the next few years

Christina & Alex Vorobiov

Social Clubhouse

Sponsors:  Keila Cohen, Joan Tomeo, Evan Berger, Tracy Jenkins


Christina and her husband moved to Santa Barbara in 2008 and returned to 2016

following a brief relocation to Los Angeles for her career. She is a partner at a Los

Angeles based law firm, where she has practiced for the past fifteen years.

Currently, she serves as the West Coast Chair of Katten’s Securities Litigation Practice – a role she considers both an honor and a significant responsibility. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling and reading. Most importantly, she is a proud mother to nearly five-year-old Ella, who is completing her first year at Laguna Blanca.