ASA SB | Board Members

Marcia Eichelberger, Co-president and a founding member of the Autism Society of America-Santa Barbara. She is the mother of Jared, a seventh grader at Goleta Valley Junior High School, and Aliah, a first grader at Santa Barbara Charter School. Marcia has been married to her husband Derrik, a partner at Arcadia Studio Landscape Architects, for 18 years. 

Marcia has been a tireless advocate in the field of developmental disabilities since 1995 when her son was diagnosed with autism. Marcia currently serves as the Chairperson of Area Board IX for Developmental Disabilities for the tri-counties area. In 2002, she served as the Chair of the Organization of Area Boards at the state level. In 2003, Marcia was honored with the Child Friendly Award by the County of Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors and Kids Network in recognition of outstanding service to children of Santa Barbara County. She was a former parent representative for Washington Elementary School on the Santa Barbara Special Education Advisory Council, and served as a member of the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Adaptive Recreation Advisory Council.  She is a graduate of the Leadership Santa Barbara program. 

Recently, Marcia was appointed to sit on the State Advisory Committee for ASD: Best Practice Guidelines for Treatment and Interventions as a parent representative.  This is a Project of the California Department of Developmental Services.

Marc Gamberdella joined the Board of ASASB in October 2007.  He is a Vice President-Wealth Management with Smith Barney, maintaining offices in Santa Barbara and San Mateo, CA.

Marc attended the University of Notre Dame (where he was a member of the Fighting Irish Baseball Team) and the University of Southern California (BA – Humanities, 1990).  Immediately thereafter, Marc studied law at the University of San Diego School of Law (Juris Doctorate, Order of Barristers-National Honors, 1993).  He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1993.  From 1993 to 1997, he served as an attorney with the firms of Bonne, Bridges, Mueller, O’Keefe & Nichols (Los Angeles, CA) and Hatch and Parent (Santa Barbara, CA).

With a proven capacity to advise on complex matters, and a passion to apply his skills in the wealth management profession, Marc began his career with Smith Barney in 1997.  Since that time, he has been recognized for excellence by the firm and by his peers in the business community.  He holds Series 7, 63, and 65 Licenses, along with Life Insurance and Annuity Licenses.  By virtue of his background, Marc advises high net worth clients with a valuable perspective.  Further, he is particularly adept in collaborating with clients’ attorneys and CPAs.

Marc’s significant leadership roles in our community have included the following:  President and Board Member of the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table, Officer, Board Member, and Investment Committee Member of the United Boys and Girls Clubs of S.B. County, UCSB Athletic Director’s Advisory Council Member, Dos Pueblos Little League Board Member, and active Member of the Autism Society of America-Santa Barbara Chapter.  He remains a Member of the State Bar of California and the Santa Barbara County Bar Association. 

Marc and his wife, Lizabeth, are the proud parents of three children, Genaro (9), Gianna (7), and Lia (4).

Elaine Jones-McKaba, Treasurer, was appointed to the Board of ASASB in September 2007.  Elaine graduated from UCSB with a BA in English Literature and from UC Davis, King Hall College of Law with a Juris Doctorate.  She has worked for Hatch and Parent, a Santa Barbara law firm, and Santa Barbara Legal Aid Foundation’s Domestic Violence Clinic assisting in preparing restraining orders and marital dissolutions.  After passing the California Bar Exam, Elaine opened a private practice with Vanessa Kirker, working in the area of Family Law.  In 1995, she went to work for Select Personnel Services as in-house counsel, doing primarily sexual harassment and discrimination investigations and settlement recommendations.

With the birth of her daughter in September 1996, Elaine decided to put her career on hold and stay home with her child, a decision which continued following the birth of her son in July 1998.  When her son was diagnosed with autism on his 3rd birthday in 2001, she and her husband realized that staying home to raise the children was going to be a long term decision, although she does maintain her bar status. 

Elaine has served on the Starr King Parent Child Workshop Board of Directors and worked as support staff for the American Heart Association.  She is committed to working for children and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and helping provide their families with information and support.

Sandy Shove has served as Vice President for Membership of the ASASB since May 2004.  A former teacher and after-school program director, Sandy recently began consulting in special education advocacy and parent advisement.  She is a long-time member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, was on the Executive Board of the Santa Barbara AEYC from 1993 to 1995, and is a member of Stand for Children, a grassroots advocacy organization defending the rights of children and families nationwide.  She has taught in the children’s ministry at Montecito Covenant Church since 2001 and has volunteered at Noah’s Half-Day Camp every Summer since 1993.  Sandy and her husband, Patrick, recently celebrated 20 years of marriage; they are the proud parents of three children, one of whom has autism.