Support Heritage Conservation at the Conservancy this Holiday Season.

As we approach the holidays, we extend our gratitude to all of you, our members, who made this year so successful. This year, the Conservancy raised its membership to over 450 and delivered about 640 hours of educational services, reaching about 4,650 persons via tours, livestreams, and public events. We landmarked two buildings (1958 20th and 137 Hart) and designated another as a Structure of Merit (1125 18th Street). This massive roll-out of programming and civic advocacy was delivered by about 85 dedicated volunteers and a hard-working staff under the leadership of Executive Director Kaitlin Drisko.

Click to Donate and Support Future Programs.

We are sad to announce the departure of Alissa Reid, our community outreach coordinator, and Kaitlin Drisko, our executive director. The work of the departing staff will now be carried out by enhanced volunteer participation. We are excited to build with our volunteers and welcome any enthusiastic individuals to join our community as we move onward. Melina Castorillo, who has served as our communications associate, will move to a new position and ensure continuity of the Conservancy's mission for our members and donors.

While Kaitlin's departure is significant, we are fortunate that her three years at the Conservancy were marked by outstanding achievements and contributions, including:

• Modernizing our systems (bookkeeping, donor tracking, graphics, etc.)
• Building an effective committee structure and training a smooth-functioning staff
• Representing the public face of the organization in the community
• Building bridges to the City Council, City Staff, and the School District
• Building significant beneficial partnerships with sister organizations, including the Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica Public Library, Philomatheans, SM Historical Museum, 18th Street Arts Center, and others

Amid this organizational restructuring, we at Santa Monica Conservancy push forward. We'll continue with our signature tours. And through community partnerships, we do our best to honor our local cultural heritage and tell the stories of historic sites of architectural significance. We've learned a lot through our programs this year and hope to grow as an organization with feedback from community members like you.

As we look ahead to the new year, we ask for your support in our shared mission of heritage conservation. We can't do this without you: consider donating to the Conservancy today.

Thanks,

Mario Fonda-Bonardi

Mario Fonda-Bonardi at the 2025 Annual Meeting