Jacquilyn Banta

Children's Resource and Referral of Santa Barbara County

Jacquilyn Banta is a strategic and values-driven leader in early childhood education, serving as Chief Operating Officer for Children’s Resource & Referral of Santa Barbara County since 2017. With nearly two decades of nonprofit leadership experience, she has led high-impact initiatives that expand access to quality child care, strengthen provider sustainability, and position early care and education as essential community infrastructure. She is known for her ability to align vision with execution, building systems that deliver measurable outcomes for children and families.

She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Human Services with a concentration in Executive Leadership, and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Strategic Leadership. Jacquilyn’s leadership approach is grounded in continuous learning, integrating research, innovation, and real-world application to drive meaningful change.

In addition to her executive leadership, Jacquilyn is a published author of both adult and children’s books, using storytelling to advance conversations around leadership, emotional resilience, and early childhood development.

Jacquilyn is a mother of five children, including one on the autism spectrum, and has been married to her husband for over twenty years. Her personal and family experiences deeply inform her commitment to inclusion, dignity, and meeting families where they are. She leads with a strength-based, servant leadership philosophy, grounded in listening, empowering others, and building from the ground up.

Through her work, Jacquilyn continues to champion policies and programs that elevate quality, honor diverse developmental pathways, and strengthen the systems that support children, families, and communities to thrive.