By Jorge Mercado Thursday, October 22nd, 2026

Kara Hornbuckle, a former school counselor who went on to enjoy success heading up philanthropic outreach on behalf of the region’s premier diabetes research, education, and clinical care institute, has been appointed chief development officer at the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. Her appointment will be effective November 4, according to the press release.

Hornbuckle joins the foundation from the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute, where she served as vice president of development and public affairs.

Hornbuckle oversaw special events, communications, and external relations, in addition to donor engagement, principal giving, planned giving, and philanthropic grants. Starting in 2023, she spearheaded SDRI’s $10 million capital campaign and renovation project to create a state-of-the-art precision metabolism and diabetes research center at the institute’s Santa Barbara facility. 

“Building meaningful relationships has been central to Kara’s work throughout her career,” said Foundation President and CEO Calen Ouellette. “At SDRI, she cultivated new supporters, expanded volunteer and board engagement, and reimagined the organization’s fundraising event model, creating new opportunities for donor engagement and philanthropic support. In addition, her experience as a school counselor sparked a lifelong commitment to educational access and opportunity that continues to inform her approach to leadership and philanthropy to this day. I am absolutely convinced that she is the ideal person to lead our fundraising efforts at the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara.”