Our Planned Giving Committee

Diane Doiron, CLU is a Past President of the SB Estate Planning Council, the Planned Giving Round Table and United Way of Santa Barbara County. She has served on this committee since 1983, and as the committee chair since 1992. Diane has been in the insurance business since 1974, working with individuals, families, business owners and professionals in the areas of risk management, Estate Planning and Long Term Care insurance. She has specialized in Charitable Estate Planning since 1981, working directly with many non-profits throughout California. She has taught classes on Medicare and on Long Term Care for Santa Barbara City College's Adult Ed program and UCSB.

Marilyn Anticouni, Esq. is an Elder Law Attorney. She has been a committee member since 1990. Marilyn specializes in elder law, estate planning, probate, and trust law. She is a Continuing Education of the Bar lecturer and author, and is a past president and member emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the Colleges of Law. She has served as co-chair of Elder Law Section and past president of the Santa Barbara County Bar Association. Marilyn is a member and past president of the Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council and serves as State Bar Special Master. She serves as a member and chair of the Santa Barbara County Property Tax Assessment Appeals Board, Board No. 1.

Michael J. Bergquist, JD, CFP is a semi-retired fee-only financial adviser and former trust department VP/Manager. He has been a committee member since 1990. Mike has a practice which is focused on advising high net worth clients on financial and estate planning matters, including charitable giving. Mike earned his JD at the University of San Francisco and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Willamette University. He is a Certified Financial Planner ^® and a member of the California Bar Association. He is a member and past president of the Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council.

Matt Fish joined the committee in 2025. He has been a licensed financial advisor since 2000. In 2009, Matt made a strategic decision to focus solely on the Insurance and Risk Management aspects of financial planning for both individuals and businesses. He specializes in the areas of Life, Disability, and Long Term Care insurance planning using innovative products and strategies. Matt's specialized role on the committee is support around gifts of life insurance, both United Way owned policies and policies owned by a donor who has named United Way as a beneficiary. Matt is a member of the Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council.

Joseph F. Green, Esq. is a Partner at Mullen & Henzell, LLP. He has been a committee member since 1983. Joe has a practice which is focused on working with and advising clients on estate planning matters. He works closely with a number of charitable organizations in the Santa Barbara area and their planned giving programs. Joe regularly presents public seminars on estate planning and on planned giving, and teaches an estate planning course at Santa Barbara City College. Joe graduated Cum Laude from Brigham Young University, and he attended University of California, Hastings College of the Law. http://www.mullenlaw.com/people/joseph-green/

Joseph M. Lanza retired from McGowan Guntermann (now Prosperity Partners) in 2019. He has been a committee member since 2010. Joe became a CPA in 1979 and has worked in Santa Barbara since 1984. At McGowan Guntermann, Joe provided expertise in tax planning and financial management. He specialized in estate and trust taxation, high net worth individuals, and private companies in the real estate, construction, insurance and high-tech industries. Joe served as President of the Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council, the Channel Counties Chapter of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA), and the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara North. He graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting.

Tim Nightingale, a long-time supporter of United Way, joined the committee in 2025. He serves as Senior Vice President | Wealth Management at Northern Trust, where he has worked since 1996. Tim also serves on the board of Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table, is an advisory board member for the central coast chapter of The First Tee and is a member of the Santa Barbara Estate Planning Council. He has also served on the board of United Boys and Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County, Dos Pueblos Little League and as a Loan Review Committee member for the Small Business Loan Fund of Santa Barbara. Tim graduated with honors from California Poly SLO with a B.S. in Finance and is an honors graduate of the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington in Seattle. https://www.northerntrust.com/united-states/about-us/locations/experts/nightingale-tim

Christine Roberts, Esq. joined the committee in 2026. She is a partner at Mullen & Henzell, L.L.P. and a member of the Estate Planning Group, where she works with and advises clients on estate planning matters. Christine has focused expertise with retirement plans and IRA accounts, and in designing estate plans that work harmoniously with the transfer of these assets from one generation to another. In addition to United Way of Santa Barbara County, Christine has been active in a number of nonprofit groups in the community since moving to Santa Barbara in 1994, including Habitat for Humanity of Southern Santa Barbara County, and Friends of Los Banos del Mar. In the past she also served successive terms on the Library Board for the City of Santa Barbara. Christine graduated from Wellesley College, from UCLA School of Law, and is a candidate for a Masters in Taxation at Boston University School of Law (May 2027). https://www.mullenlaw.com/bios/christine-p-roberts-partner-attorney-at-mullen-and-henzell/

Suzi Schomer is Wealth Strategist at Montecito Bank & Trust. Her experience includes the successful development and implementation of wealth management strategies for multifaceted, complex trust, investment management, nonprofit and private banking clients. Suzi has been a committee member since 2000 and has been an active volunteer in the Santa Barbara area for over two decades. Suzi is on the planned giving committee of five local organizations and has experience on several non-profit boards and advisory boards. She earned both her BA and MA at USC. https://montecito.bank/about/team/bio?memberName=Suzi Schomer&Team=Wealth Management

Julia Walther, CPA joined the committee in 2025. She first learned about the work of United Way of Santa Barbara County as a Lunch Bunch volunteer at our Fun in the Sun summer learning program. Julia is an accomplished tax manager specializing in trust and estates, tax compliance, and business planning. She graduated from UCSB with a bachelor's degree in Global Studies and earned her master's in business taxation from USC. She also serves as Managing Director at the Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association and on the Board of Directors at the California Society of CPA's (CalCPA). Julia is passionate about mentoring young professionals and promoting sustainability through beekeeping. https://www.prosperityllc.com/personnel/julia-walther/

Shanna Wasson Taylor joined United Way of Santa Barbara County, as the Gift Planning Services Officer in 2016, to help create solutions for donors who wish to accomplish their personal financial, estate planning, and philanthropic goals through planned giving arrangements. Prior to United Way, Shanna spent 20 years as CEO for Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties. Shanna started her non-profit career working for 10 years in membership and program for the Girl Scouts on California's Central Coast and in San Diego. Shanna earned her Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University and her Master's degree in Education, Leadership & Organizations from UCSB. https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanna-wasson-taylor-uwsbc/