SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Santa Barbara Mental Wellness Center has announced the addition of four local leaders to its Board of Directors as the organization prepares to enter its 80th year of service to the community. Joining the board are Heather Ames, Scott Jeffrey Ehrnstein, Chad Hine and Cheryl Runge. Scott Lochridge continues as Board Chair.
The new members bring broad experience spanning mental health advocacy, healthcare, finance, real estate, human resources and nonprofit leadership. Together with the organization’s existing directors, they will help guide the Mental Wellness Center as it continues to strengthen and expand programs supporting the mental health and well-being of individuals and families throughout the county.
“As we enter our 80th year, the strength of our Board of Directors gives us great confidence in the future,” said Annmarie Cameron, CEO of the Mental Wellness Center. “Scott Lochridge has provided steady leadership through a period of change and growth, strengthening both the organization and its board. Our four new directors each bring valuable expertise, fresh perspective and deep roots in this community. Together, this board is exceptionally well positioned to steward our mission and guide Mental Wellness Center into its next chapter.”
Scott Lochridge, Board Chair, brings four decades of experience as an executive and senior advisor to multinational corporations, nonprofits and early-stage companies, with expertise in organizational growth, strategy and leading major change initiatives. He currently serves as Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Decker Brands and previously held leadership roles with The Boston Consulting Group, Carlson Marketing Group and Young & Rubicam. Lochridge earned his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and MBA from Stanford University.
Heather Ames is Chief People Officer at Montecito Bank & Trust and brings more than 25 years of experience in human resources and organizational development. A lifelong Santa Barbara County resident, Ames has a long record of nonprofit leadership and community service. She currently serves as Board President of CASA of Santa Barbara County and on the board of Standing Together to End Sexual Assault, and has been involved with numerous other local organizations including the Santa Barbara Girls and Boys Club, Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, Coastal Housing Partnership and United Way.
Scott Jeffrey Ehrnstein is a longtime Santa Barbara real estate professional who earned his degree in Business Economics from UC Santa Barbara in 1986. Inspired by his family’s tradition of community service, Ehrnstein has volunteered on a variety of nonprofit boards throughout his career and has deep roots in Santa Barbara, where he and his wife raised their two children.
Chad Hine is Chief Operating Officer of Sansum Medical Group of Santa Barbara, affiliated with Sutter Health. Since moving to Santa Barbara in 2009, he has held senior leadership roles with Sansum Clinic and Sutter Health, including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Ambulatory CEO for Sutter Health’s Greater Central Coast Division. He also serves on the boards of America’s Physician Groups, Integrated Healthcare Association and the UCSB Economic Forecast Project. Hine holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Purdue University and an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business.
Cheryl Runge brings extensive experience in mental health advocacy and family support. Before moving to Santa Barbara, she was active with NAMI Southeast Wisconsin, where she supported fundraising efforts and taught the organization’s Family-to-Family class. In Santa Barbara, she has served on the NAMI Santa Barbara County board, continues to teach Family-to-Family, volunteers with the Cookie Brigade at the Psychiatric Health Facility and participates on the CARE Act Support Team.
Founded in 1947, Santa Barbara Mental Wellness Center has spent nearly eight decades advancing mental wellness in Santa Barbara County. Today, the organization provides community wellness programs, mental health education, family support, housing and residential services, and the Fellowship Club, helping individuals and families access support, connection and resources throughout the community.
