Gabe is a housing, education, and criminal legal system reform advocate with a masters degree in Kinesiology. As the son of a working-class single mother who worked multiple jobs and a life intimately affected by the incarceration system, his activism is deeply rooted in his lived experience. Gabe currently works for the Student Affairs division at UCSB in the Department of Recreation and co-supervises the Kendra Chiota Payne Leadership for Young Women through Sports Internship. Previously, he was the inaugural Chair of the Emerging Leaders Program that provided resources for professional development opportunities for students and, until recently, was Chair of the campus board that oversees the Student Medical Emergency Relief Fund.
In his community, Gabe is a member of the Board of Education for Santa Barbara Unified School District. For three years, he sat on the City of Santa Barbara’s Planning Commission as the youngest member ever appointed to the Commission. He carried his housing and climate justice activism into this role, pushing for progressive city policies on multi-unit housing policy and the City’s most recent Housing Element Update. Following his first two years, Gabe was appointed Chair by his fellow Planning Commissioners. In addition to his role on the Planning Commission, he was Chair of the City of Santa Barbara’s Community Formation Commission, which delivered a recommendation for a police oversight model in April of 2022. He hopes this work is the first of many steps to redefine public safety in Santa Barbara.