Meet our Staff
Jonathan Abboud, General Manager
As the General Manager, Jonathan oversees all of the services, finances, and employees of the IVCSD. Former AS President and current member of the SBCC District Board of Trustees, Abboud is experienced in community leadership and activism, having played an integral role in the creation of the IVCSD as the co-founder of the Isla Vista Self Governance Initiative.
generalmanager@islavistacsd.com
Sydney Castaneda, Community Engagement Director
As the Community Engagement Director, Sydney takes the lead in planning, developing, managing, and executing the District’s community engagement initiatives, including education, advocacy, communication, and outreach.
communityengagement@islavistacsd.com
Carly Marto, Compost Collective Program Manager
As the Compost Collective Program Manager, Carly oversees the successful operation of the Isla Vista Compost Collective (IVCC) and is responsible for the overall management and supervision of IVCC employees.
compostcollective@islavistacsd.com
Myah Mashhadialireza, Community Spaces Program Manager
As the Community Spaces Program Manager, Myah operates both the Isla Vista Community Center and Community Room. She will oversee the building’s programs on a day-to-day basis, work with individuals and groups interested in using the spaces, and develop programming for the entire community to benefit from.
communityspaces@islavistacsd.com
Jenna Norton, Isla Vista Beautiful Program Manager
As the Isla Vista Program Manager, Jenna oversees a crew of workers who identify and respond to beautification issues in the Isla Vista Community. She collaborates with local stakeholders to reduce waste, increase sustainability, and beautify the community.
Meet our Compost Collective Team
Sophie
Sophie is a fourth-year environmental studies major with an outside concentration in psychology and brain sciences originally from Palm Desert, California. Sophie is very interested in soil science, urban agriculture, science communication and of course compost! Sophie hopes to further their interests by starting a career related to these topics once she finishes her studies. Sophie joined IVCC almost 2 years ago and got involved with IVCC to get outside, talk to people about compost, and get in the dirt ! In her free time Sophie likes to weightlift, do yoga and thrift.
Kat
Kat is a 4th year environmental studies major, art minor and professional writing minor from Sacramento, CA. Her academic interests center around conservation ecology, scientific journalism, and regenerative agriculture. Her research focuses on scalable organic farming in Central California and the challenges it faces from climate change. Kat is most passionate about the intersection of science and narrative, and believes there’s a huge importance in communicating the climate crisis through personal stories, art, and creative nonfiction. Outside of their academic pursuits, Kat enjoys travel, cooking, hiking, drawing, and playing bass in a band.
Meg
Meg is a third year Environmental Studies student at UCSB. She is passionate about how climate change affects Earth’s biogeochemical cycles, especially in the ocean. Meg is originally from Upstate New York, a rural area that inspired her love for the environment and composting. She is stoked to be involved in IV’s closed loop food system and working towards causing environmental change at the local scale. When not riding around on the coolest e-bike around, Meg loves running, hiking, and crocheting.
Arushi
Arushi Lakhan-Pal is a fourth year Environmental Studies and Communication double major at UCSB. She was born and raised in the Bay Area. Arushi is interested in food sovereignty, renewable agriculture, environmental justice, ethnobotany, sustainable fashion, and more. She hopes to work with one of these topics in her career. Arushi joined IVCC to learn more about compost systems and taking care of land, and to contribute to Isla Vista’s sustainability and sense of community. Arushi enjoys doing yoga, reading, baking, swimming, and spending time outside.
Luc
Luc Raderman is a second year Environmental studies major (B.A.) at UCSB. His role for Isla Vista Compost Collective is a dirt rider which means he picks up food scraps on the bike (when IVCC is collecting food scraps) and does up keeping on the compost piles. His hobbies are sports, music, hanging out with friends, and exploring nature. He was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles.
Ash
Ash is an environmental horticulture student at SBCC. They also work at the far mar with veggie rescue, the food pantry garden at SBCC, is a board director at the IV Parks District, and a garden and compost manager at their Coop house, loves to play music, and you may see them at various other things around town. They have been learning about building healthy soil, growing native, edible, and medicinal plants, while building a community based on solidarity and love for about 4 years.
Jackson
Jackson is a third year Environmental Studies major from Muir Beach, Ca. His academic interests center around environmental justice, sustainable living, the built environment and the perceptions between humans and nature. Jackson is passionate in discovering how societal belief systems affect the ways people view and interact with each other and the world we live in. His environmentalism centers around the phrase “Think globally, act locally” Where he believes working with, and building better communities creates grassroot change that leads to a more socially and environmentally just world. Outside of his academic pursuits, Jackson enjoys climbing, surfing, photography, music and hanging out with his friends.
Kenny
Kenny is a 3rd year Environmental Studies major from San Bernardino, CA. Her academic interests center around conservation ecology, food systems, and sustainable agriculture. Kenny believes outreach, community engagement, and communication are all of a huge importance to work through the climate crisis, and she does this through crafting stories, art, and resources to communicate to those around her to raise awareness and encourage action for better. As she approaches her final year at UCSB, Kenny is still finding her way, noticing interests in environmental consulting and journalism. Outside of academic and professional pursuits, Kenny loves to write, paint, knit, and play video games.
Owen
Owen Castillo is a third year Sociology major born and raised just north of LA. Owens academic interests as a sociology major include waste management/ closed loop economies, immigration policy, and stratification in the United States. Outside of school, Owen is also passionate about surfing, playing the drums, and producing music.
Meet our Isla Vista Beautiful Team
Alicia
Alicia is a Biology major at UCSB with an interest in environmental science and environmental preservation. As a part of the Isla Vista Beautiful program, she passionately helps respond to beautification issues within the community aspiring to create long-term enhancements and promote sustainable practices in Isla Vista.
Kate
Kate is a History and Environmental Studies Double Major at UCSB with an interest in environmental activism and global studies. Her experience in conservation with the Appalachian Mountain Club and community outreach in Washington, DC gives her a multidimensional background to apply to the Isla Vista community.
Joselyn
Joselyn is a Political Science major at UCSB with an interest in law. In the past, she has taken up the role of a leader making her excellent at taking initiative. She has a passion for inclusivity and a love for Isla Vista. As a member of the Isla Vista Beautiful team, she is committed to making Isla Vista a more enjoyable place for everyone.
Maya
Maya is a Sociology and Environmental Studies major at UCSB. Maya has hands-on experience working in farming and agriculture and has a general love for the outdoors. This along with her passion for sustainability and community improvement makes her a fantastic addition to the Isla Vista Beautiful team.
Gavin
Gavin is an Environmental Studies and Geography Major at UCSB, with an interest in conservation and fire ecology. With previous experience ranging from carpentry to whale watching naturalist, his wide diverse background gives him helpful problem solving skills to apply to the Isla Vista Community.
Wendy
Wendy is a fourth year double major in Chicana/o and Environmental Studies at UCSB. She is passionate about environmental justice, and resolving the injustices that are perpetuated against marginalized communities. She is excited to be joining the Isla Vista Beautiful Program and continue the amazing work of beautifying our community and finding sustainable solutions that work for everyone.
Kaleb
Kaleb is a 1st year Sociology major and education minor at UCSB. He is experienced in working outdoors with weeding and planting in Central California. His favorite part about working for Isla Vista Beautiful is interacting with community members. His passion for making Isla Vista a better place makes him a wonderful asset to the Isla Vista Beautiful team.
Greer
Greer is a recent UCSB graduate. In her time at UCSB, Greer Majored in Environmental Science with an Outside Concentration in Fine Art. She is a multifaceted individual that cannot be held down by any one industry, having professional experience in Music, Music Production, Event Planning, Art, Photography, Sustainable Food Production, Research, and Green Building. Greer feels lucky to continue working in IV as an environmental steward.
2022-2023 Interns:
Sara Rubin- Community Engagement Intern
Sara is a Political Science major at UCSB with a passion for international relations, public policy, and law. With her experience in community organizing and advocating for underserved groups in law, Sara works collaboratively with other interns to improve and greater serve the Isla Vista community.
Jacob Parsons- Community Spaces Intern
Jacob is a UCSB alum who has continued to be actively involved in the Isla Vista community since moving here. He has a passion for event planning and community building and is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve the community in this capacity. He is extremely active and can be seen skateboarding, playing basketball, or walking my dog most days.
Sanaya Shah- Community Spaces Intern
Sanaya is a Political Science major with a minor in Professional Writing for Civic Engagement at UCSB. She is extremely passionate about event planning, community outreach, marketing, and celebrating the diverse Isla Vista community. As the Community Spaces Intern, Sanaya works in collaboration with the other interns to improve and make the Isla Vista Community Center a welcoming space for all!
