U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley to Keynote The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law’s 2019 Commencement Ceremony, March 30

SANTA BARBARA & VENTURA, Calif. – The Honorable Julia Brownley, member of the United States House of Representatives, will receive an honorary Doctor of Law degree and address The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law’s (COL) graduating Class of 2019.  The Commencement ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 30, 2019, at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Rep. Brownley will be honored for her more than 25 years of public service and leadership in the local community.

Rep. Brownley began her career in public service in 1994 after deciding to run for the local school board as a way to advocate for a better education for her daughter, who had dyslexia, and other special-needs students.  She won and was later elected to the California State Legislature in 2006.  Rep. Brownley was first elected to Congress in 2012 to serve the California’s 26th District, which includes the cities of Ventura, Oxnard, Ojai, Santa Paula, Fillmore, Camarillo, Newbury Park, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, and Westlake Village.

“From the school board to the California legislature and now at the highest levels of government in Washington, I and many other Ventura County residents can attest to Congresswoman Brownley’s exemplary and responsive service to her constituents, in the past or currently, be they students, veterans, seniors, farmers, or victims of the deadly fires that swept our counties,” said Trustee Carmen Ramirez who sponsored Rep. Brownley’s honorary degree resolution to the COL Board of Trustees. “She is well deserving of this honor as a maker of laws that benefit our community.”

On Capitol Hill, Rep. Brownley serves on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, including as Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Health. Rep. Brownley also sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

“I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Board Trustee Carmen Ramirez and the entire leadership of the Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law for this special honor,” said Rep. Brownley. “It is a privilege to have the opportunity to address the Class of 2019, as well as their friends and family, as they mark this momentous occasion. These graduates have worked extraordinarily hard to get to this special day, and I look forward to recognizing this tremendous achievement as they embark on their careers in the law.”

As commencement speaker, Rep. Brownley joins a distinguished list of local public servants invited to address a Colleges of Law graduating class.  Recent keynote speakers include Calif. State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson; the Honorable Lois Capps; Joyce Dudley, current District Attorney of Santa Barbara County; the Honorable Gregory Totten, current District Attorney of Ventura County; Judge Michele Castillo, Ventura County Superior Court and COL trustee; and Justice Steven Z. Perren of the California Court of Appeal.

Rep. Brownley will join trustees, faculty, staff, family, and guests gathering on March 30, 2019, to celebrate the 45 members of COL’s Class of 2019.  Representing the Santa Barbara Campus are graduates Joseph Beck, Martin Bender, Kiley Clevenger, Evelyn Cortes, Matthew Haas (Honors), Shannon Lofft, Devonnie Mann, Tyler Potter (Highest Honors), Nicolette Reeves, Keiran Schwoerke, Stephanie Sivers, Samuel Sosa, Stacy Tolkin Lowman, Joan Vignocchi, and John Weninger.

Representing the Ventura Campus are graduates Karina Almaguer, Ashley Brown, Megan Cooper (Honors), Emily Dixon, Larissa Garcia, Maritza Garcia-Lopez, Laura Garibay, Valarie Grossman (Honors), Amy Gunderson, Jonathan Gunderson (Highest Honors), Kryztofr Kaine, Alessandro Manno, Eddie Martinez, Daniel Moore (High Honors), Viktoria Morgan, Bryan Murotake, Sergio Prado, Esther Reynoso, Veronica Romero, Dianne Seaberg, Rogelio Tuazon, and Rodrigo Yanez.

Representing the Master of Arts in Law program are Francisco Aragon, Michael Barney, Ashley Barrios, Susan Foster, Daniel Hodorowski, Renee Paige, Tyler Thompson, and Jaclyn Zaragoza.

About The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law:
Established in 1969, The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law (COL) was founded to expand opportunities and broaden access to legal education.  COL is dedicated to a student-centered approach that affords students of diverse backgrounds the opportunity to pursue careers in law or legal-related fields. The Colleges’ faculty advances a real-world perspective and practicality on the application of law and includes practicing attorneys, judges, public servants, and leaders in business and non-profit organizations.  An accredited nonprofit institution, COL offers a Juris Doctor (J.D.) and a Master of Arts in Law (M.A. in Law) program.  Starting in Fall 2018, COL became the first accredited law school in California to offer a hybrid J.D. degree. COL is regionally accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) and the Juris Doctor program is accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE) of the State Bar of California.  For more information, visit admin.collegesoflaw.edu.

The Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law is an affiliate of TCS Education System, a nonprofit system of colleges advancing student success and community impact.

For more information, contact the COL Public Affairs Coordinator Kryztofr Kaine at (805) 765-9729; [email protected].

Joyce Dudley resigned as Santa Barbara County district attorney effective January 2023.