A special one-time “Heroes Award” was presented to area first responders.

This year’s South Coast Business & Technology Awards ceremony netted almost $170,000 for the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. More than 600 people attended the June 6 event at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Now in their 24th year, the awards celebrate innovation, leadership, and success in the area’s business and technology sectors.

Receiving 2018 SCBT Awards were KEYT/KCOY/KKFX (Excellence in Service), Berry Man founder Guy De Mangeon (Entrepreneur of the Year), Rusty’s Pizza Parlors (Company of the Year), Janet Garufis (Executive of the Year), and UCSB faculty member and noted technologist Dr. John Bowers (Pioneer Award). A special one-time “Heroes Award” was presented to area first responders for their efforts during the Thomas Fire and its aftermath. Additional information on this year’s honorees is available here.

Serving as event Steering Committee co-chairs again this year were Arnold Brier, vice president and general counsel for Yardi Systems, and Renee Grubb, founder of Village Properties. The all-volunteer Steering Committee selects honorees and raises funds to put on the annual event.

“Since 2001, South Coast Business & Technology Awards ceremonies have provided about $2 million to more than 700 students pursuing degrees in business and technology-related fields,” said Barbara Robertson, interim president and CEO of the Scholarship Foundation. “We are very grateful for such generous support from our local business and technology community.”