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W H AT ’ S N O W / G I V I N G B A C K
Sweet SIXTY
Local philanthropist SHARON
BRADFORD ,
who chaired the Music Academy’s opening gala.
The Towbes Group celebrates 60 years of doing good
Top to bottom: TOWBES
GROUP members Derek Hansen,
Craig Zimmerman, Beth Sparks, Michael Towbes, Michelle Konoske, Traci Taitt, and Jim Carrillo; breaking ground at RIVIERA
This year marks the 60th anniversary of THE TOWBES GROUP —a name that strikes chords of success and charity within Santa Barbara. Under the leadership of Michael Towbes, a man who’s served on 33 boards and has had the rare distinction of being both volunteer and philanthropist of the year, the team maintains his steady mantra of “Give Where You Live.” When it comes to choosing where to give, Towbes, 87, says, “We look at where the impact will be, staying almost entirely focused on Santa Barbara, as we can see where it goes.” To date, The Towbes Group has developed two million square feet of commercial space, including Riviera Park and Coast Village Square, and 6,000 residential units. For every residential move-in, a donation is made to a local charity, plus each new resident receives a reusable grocery bag, which eliminates the use of 1,000 plastic bags over a lifetime. In the spirit of sustainability, the business has become green certified—their slogan “Scan When You Can” has helped them achieve 85 percent waste diversion by using less paper, and employees have access to the company’s electric “Towbie” car for daily errands. “We’ve filled a need for housing between Ventura and Santa Maria,” says Towbes. “We’re very conscious of the impact of our projects and neighborhood concerns.” Staying focused on that wisdom, the Towbes Group targets social work and education to help keep people employed and off the streets, awarding grants twice a year to support community organizations. Personally, Towbes and his wife, Anne, are constantly giving to organizations they believe in. For his 80th birthday, they opted out of a traditional party and instead threw a fundraiser bash for the Granada Theatre. And there’s no telling what this anniversary or future milestone celebrations will bring. “Over the years, our philanthropy has been very public. Being public about what you do may encourage other people to give,” says Towbes, who urges people to do what they can, be it volunteering or giving dollars and cents. “Santa Barbara has been very good to me and I want to leave it better than I found it.” J . B . K .
What’s Now / Giving Back PARK , 1913; Towbes with his
longtime business partner Eli Luria.
S A N TA B A R B A R A