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Community Arts Music Association of Santa Barbara, Inc. (CAMA), celebrating its 106th concert season in 2024/2025, has elected Mahri Kerley to its board of directors, effective November 14, 2024.
Mahri Kerley has been a passionate supporter of CAMA since attending her first concert in the late 1960s. Over the years, she has made significant contributions to the organization both as an individual and through her renowned business, Chaucer’s Book Store. She has sponsored CAMA concerts annually, this season supporting CAMA’s performances by Chineke! Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and Gilles Apap. Kerley is also a longtime member of CAMA’s International Circle and Mozart Society in support of CAMA’s Endowment.
Mahri was born and educated in Canada where her father was a Commanding Officer in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. After his passing her mother went to work for the British Columbia government. To promote trade and tourism to B. C. they opened an office in San Francisco where her mother was in charge. Mahri met her English husband, Rex Kerley through English connections on both sides in 1963 in San Francisco. Rex worked for IBM and was moved to New York until 1969 when Burroughs Corporation hired him to work in Santa Barbara.
In 1974, Ms. Kerley took over The Ark bookstore in Santa Barbara, eventually renaming it Chaucer’s Book Store. Under her stewardship, Chaucer’s became a beloved literary hub in the community. In 1990, she relocated the store to Loreto Plaza, where it continues to thrive under new ownership, carrying forward the name and traditions she established.
A lifelong advocate for the arts, Ms. Kerley has further supported organizations such as Opera Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Symphony, and the Music Academy of the West. Her dedication to the community has earned her numerous accolades, including recognition as one of Santa Barbara Independent’s Local Heroes in 2009 and an honor from the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Foundation in 2016.
Ms. Kerley’s enduring commitment to the arts and her local community makes her a welcome addition to CAMA’s Board of Directors.
CAMA, Santa Barbara’s oldest arts organization, brings the finest classical musicians from around the globe to Santa Barbara’s Granada Theatre and Lobero Theatre.
For more information on CAMA, please visit:
https://www.camasb.org/