Marty Blum, whose long history of civic involvement has included two terms as mayor of Santa Barbara and two term on the City Council, has joined the board of the Elings Park Foundation.
“It’s really a thrill for me to be on the board because we live about a block away from upper Elings Park,” Blum said. “We moved into the neighborhood in 1968 and so we remember when it was the city dump and we’ve watched it evolve beyond our dreams in such a wonderful way. We had no idea Elings Park would become such a beautiful place and be used by so many people in such healthy ways.”
Michael Fauver, chairman of the non-profit foundation that administers the 230-acre regional park, welcomed Blum to the board.
“We are delighted to have an individual of Marty’s caliber, with her long record of commitment to the community and experience in city issues, on the Elings Park board. We see it as a real vote of confidence in Elings Park and its future.”
Noting that Elings Park has a history of reaching out to its neighbors, Blum pledged that this cooperation would continue.
“The park’s neighbors need to be included in what’s going on at the park, and Elings Park will continue to reach out to them and include them in the plans for the future,” she said.
Blum served two terms on the Santa Barbara City Council before serving as Mayor for eight years. She is a former President of the Santa Barbara Teachers Association and a currently a member of several civic groups. Elings Park is a privately funded community resource that provides a wide variety of recreational resources.