Kandy Luria-Budgor

Kandy Luria-Budgor and her husband Dr. Aaron Budgor have lived in Montecito for the last 15 years, with family roots in the community since the mid-1950s. Her career has spanned Counseling and Psychology (in which she holds her Master’s degree) for 10 years in corporate settings (mostly in the Los Angeles area), specializing in addiction, career counseling, and short-term therapy, to 20 years in real estate in Washington D.C., including land acquisition, building, and residential sales.

After moving back to Santa Barbara, Kandy took over running The Luria Company and the Luria Foundation, both started by her father Eli Luria. The Luria/Budgor Family Foundation is a philanthropic entity which gives to four specific organizations: Music Academy of the West, Jewish Federation, Santa Barbara City College, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

Kandy has served on the Music Academy of the West’s Board of Directors for nine years, also leading as Chair of the Building, Instruments, and Grounds Committee. Additionally, she served on the Board of the Santa Barbara City College Foundation and was Chair of the Friends of the Luria Library and served on the Committee for President’s Scholarships. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for Santa Barbara Museum of Art and is on the Collections Committee. Kandy served on the Board of Ensemble Theatre Company and PAL (Police Activity League). She has been instrumental in guiding community programs and organizations to success, such as Running Start 2—a program for high school students entering college, acquisition of the theatre for the Ensemble Theatre Company, and building projects at Jewish Federation.

Currently, Ms. Budgor is completing a Master’s degree in Contemporary Art with Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York City.