12/16/2025
Commissioner JoAnne Meade Young received the congressional award from as a Woman of the Year for 2025 ✨
JoAnne Meade Young attended a segregated two-room school through the third grade. Learning did not come easily to her, which motivated her to ensure that low-income children, children of color, and children with learning disabilities and ADHD were recognized and placed on a path to educational success. When she moved to Santa Barbara in 1990 to become principal of Mountain View School in Goleta, she became the school’s first Black principal. Over the next 17 years, she served as principal of Brandon School, El Rancho School, Ellwood School, and as Director of the Goleta State Preschool. Even in retirement, she has continued to serve the community. She ran the Santa Barbara Spelling Bee for five years, and helped found the Santa Barbara Martin Luther King Jr. Committee, and served as a board member of the Family Services Agency and as the District 2 Commissioner for Women. Her lifelong commitment to equity and education has left a lasting impact on generations of students and the broader Santa Barbara community.
Congrats to JoAnne for her well deserved recognition! ✨
