Board of Directors

Dennis Clark is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Financial Planner. He has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, a Master’s Degree in taxation from Golden Gate University, and a graduate certificate in international taxation.

Dennis has proudly served on the Sanctuary Centers board as Treasurer since 2014 and Board Chair since 2022. In addition to his duties with us, he is also a member of the Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council.

Karin Napel is the Managing Director of First Republic Bank and has over 30 years of banking and lending experience.  Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Karin looks forward to serving her larger community.  She has served on a number of boards throughout Santa Barbara and Goleta and looks forward to assisting Sanctuary Center of Santa Barbara going forward.

Dr. Robert Permut is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist who has been honored as a Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. After training at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Permut practiced Psychiatry at the Santa Barbara Medical Foundation Clinic and Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital from 1977-1984. After leaving Santa Barbara to pursue other career opportunities, Dr. Permut received a Masters Degree in Health Administration from the University of Colorado School of Business. Subsequently, Dr. Permut’s career took him to the Midwest and East where he served in various management and leadership roles as Chief Medical Officer, Chief Strategy Officer, and Chief Executive Officer in large multispecialty group practices and integrated health care systems. His passion for integrated care and treating the whole person has been a hallmark of his career.

Since returning to Santa Barbara in retirement in November 2018, Dr. Permut has been active as an officer in his homeowners’ association, has been both a donor and on the volunteer roster for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County and in similar roles for Direct Relief. Most recently, Dr. Permut was appointed by the Santa Barbara City Council to serve on its Community Development and Human Services Committee.

Dr. Permut greatly values the mission of, and the work done by Sanctuary Centers and is pleased to serve on its Board of Directors. In addition to all the services provided by Sanctuary Centers, Dr. Permut is especially excited to be part of the expansion of the Integrated Care Clinic and the development of Enhanced Care Management and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.

“The Santa Barbara community is fortunate to have an agency that has a comprehensive program for mental health and drug addiction. The Sanctuary Centers commitment to the health and welfare of the client is also a commitment to the community.”

Marsha Marcoe, Marriage and Family Therapist has been involved in executive management and major fundraising for various non-profits and foundations for the past 25 years. She is currently serving on the Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County Board of Directors and has been invited to serve on the Sanctuary Center of Santa Barbara Board of Directors.

Her past experiences include Major Gift Development for Child Abuse Listening & Mediation, University California Santa Barbara, Domestic Violence Solutions, and the Braille Institute of America.

Marsha maintains a private practice as a Marriage & Family Therapist specializing in Anxiety Disorder and EMDR Therapy for trauma victims.

Before moving to Santa Barbara, Marsha administrated an HIV Antibody Testing Program at Valley Community Clinic; worked for Cable News Network (CNN), and Co-owned the Jon Peters Beauty Salons in Beverly Hills, Encino, Tarzana and Woodland Hills before earning her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University.

The work that Sanctuary Centers does is transformative. I’m proud to be a member of the board because I’ve seen first-hand the impacts of mental health challenges on individuals, their families and communities. I’ve also seen the positive impact of the whole individual approach of Sanctuary Centers that provides integrated services that meet people where they are. This organization is community people helping our neighbors and I’m excited to help however I can.

James Joyce III is a civil rights activist and founder of Coffee with a Black Guy. CWABG serves as a safe place for interactive, community conversations about a variety of issues from the perspective of a black man. It’s been a growing, grassroots effort hosted by Joyce and his team to help put an end to racism. Simply put: Coffee. Connection. Conversation. For these efforts and more, the Ventura County branch of the NAACP awarded Joyce with their 2018 Distinguished Citizen Award. It’s bestowed upon an individual whose groundbreaking work increases understanding and awareness of racial and social issues. Forbes also featured Joyce and his work with CWABG in a piece published during the Covid-19 outbreak. Joyce was recognized for his outstanding leadership in aiding anti-racist conversations even during a worldwide pandemic. He’s also served as a guest speaker for the NAACP chapter of Ventura County during their solidarity rally for George Floyd.

For much of the past decade, Joyce also served as District Director for State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, who represented nearly 1 million constituents within Santa Barbara and Ventura counties until terming out in Dec. 2020. In that role, Joyce was responsible for the day-to-day operations representing the Senator and her work. Known as a sturdy leader and champion for justice, Joyce has served on various advisory boards in the area including Impact Hub Santa Barbara, the Ventura County Leadership Academy, and the Santa Barbara Young Black Professionals.

Joyce is also on the board for the Common Table Foundation (formerly the Lois and Walter Capps Project), the California Association of Marriage & Family Therapist Education Foundation, as well as the national board for Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB), where he helped found the collegiate chapter while a student-athlete at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio.

Prior to working in the public service sector, Joyce, a Maryland-native, served as a newspaper journalist in several diverse communities across the country covering a variety of subjects; from education to crime, local politics, features and more. An award-winning journalist, Joyce is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and currently serves on the executive board of the Xi Iota Lambda Alumni Chapter, seated in Camarillo, CA.

Josh Rabinowitz brings extensive real estate and business law expertise to our board. Trusted by the region’s top shopping centers and property owners, he handles everything from leases to complex boundary issues and guides companies through entity formation, financing, and mergers. Known for his solutions-oriented approach and ability to build cohesive teams, Josh advises ultra-high net-worth individuals on business and family planning. Passionate about supporting those living with mental illness, Josh’s commitment to our mission will be instrumental in advancing our organization.

Michael D. Young, Ph.D., received his Bachelor’s degree in History from Beloit College in Wisconsin; his Master’s degree in History from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and his Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the University of Iowa. Recognized as a distinguished alumnus by Beloit College, he received an Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater in 2012. Now retired, Michael served as vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of California, Santa Barbara for twenty-five years. In this role, he oversaw twenty-five departments in the Division of Student Affairs including those that provide services and programs to promote students’ physical and emotion well-being, and he became a national leader in providing student mental health services on campuses. Michael recently took a break from retirement and served as the interim vice president for student affairs at Sonoma State University for eighteen months. Michael has been active in the Santa Barbara community for many years and has held community service roles including board member for the United Way of Santa Barbara County for fifteen years, board member for the Santa Barbara Sansum Clinic, and a member of Santa Barbara’s Fighting Back Steering Committee for fourteen years. He is excited to use his rich experience and unique skillset garner from decades of nonprofit experience to help the Sanctuary Centers of Santa Barbara grow and transform lives.

I am honored to serve as a Board Member of Sanctuary Center.  A few years ago, when a member of my immediate family experienced a mental health crisis, we were devastated.   We threw ourselves into action to literally save a life. We worked hard and searched every resource to find assistance: a long, difficult, and draining journey. This heart-rending experience, along with my deep passion for children and young people, encouraged me to seek and become part of a solution that would help other families and friends. I found my chance at Sanctuary Center, one of our community’s most vital mental health and wellness service providers. I am honored and overjoyed to join the Board of Sanctuary Center.

Dianne Travis-Teague, co-founder and President of The Teague Group, LLC, brings over 20 years of direct experience in education and nonprofits.  She maintains extensive capabilities in project management, financial analysis, customer service implementation and training, and workshop/meeting planning.

Dianne is immensely passionate about mental wellness, education, and helping others. Community education and promoting knowledge surrounding mental health is key to serving our community, making Dianne invaluable in achieving our mission.

As the former Senior Director of Alumni Relations for Pacifica Graduate Institute for over fourteen years, Travis-Teague has created and maintained pathways for alumni participation.

A two-time survivor of breast cancer who is living with heart disease, she actively participates in community service. This includes being a national spokeswoman for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Avon Foundation for Women: Breast Cancer Crusade, the National Breast Cancer Foundation, WomenHeart (the National Coalition for Women Living with Heart Disease), Mended Hearts, Inc., and the Women’s Heart Center.  She also serves as Vice-Chair of the Hospice of Santa Barbara Board of Directors.

Travis-Teague earned a bachelor of science in business management and marketing at Northwestern University in Illinois and plans to pursue the Masters’s Program in Religious Studies at Claremont Theological Seminary.  She has written her first book, “Pray for Me:  Stories of  Hope, Courage, and Joy, which will be published later this year.

Dianne hopes to leave a legacy that exemplifies the words of poet Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

“I have served on the Board of Sanctuary Centers since 2015. This provides me an opportunity to address the needs of the mentally ill and work with an organization that is improving people’s lives.”

Mark Levine earned a Bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York, Buffalo with a degree in Political Science. He and his wife, Chris, met at college after which they both returned home to New York. For three years, Mark worked in the Securities Industry as a special situations analyst and institutional salesmen before he accepted a position in financial consulting as Executive VP with Corporate Strategies. Later, Mark became a member of the Commodity Exchange in New York, trading silver and gold before moving on to found Telic Trading, where he worked for 12 years before retiring in 1983.

Upon Mark’s retirement, the Levine Family moved to Santa Barbara. Mark has volunteered with numerous non-profits and served on multiple boards, including C.A.L.M, Santa Barbara City College, and LifeChronicles. He helped found the Center for Successful Aging and served as a peer counselor and group facilitator there for ten years. Currently, Mark serves on the board of Hospice of Santa Barbara Foundation. He is also on their Investment Committee, as well as the Investment Committees of Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care, C.A.L.M., and the Bower Foundation. He does all this in addition to serving on the Sanctuary Centers board.

A man of many interests, Mark also has taught tennis at City College and served as assistant coach of the Tennis Team. He also serves on a committee to run a private tennis club in Montecito.