The Signal invited the Top 51 of Santa Clarita’s most influential people of 2025 to Salt Creek Grille on Thursday for a luncheon to celebrate the people who aim to make the Santa Clarita Valley great.
“The reason for this lunch is the exact same reason when I started this 21 years ago and it’s just to say, ‘Thank you,’” Signal Publisher/Owner Richard Budman told the crowd of esteemed guests. “It’s the people on the 51 list and all the cohorts before you that make this community so great and it takes thousands and thousands of people to make Santa Clarita such a great place to live. You guys are the ones at the tip of the spear, the ones that influence everybody to do great.”
“There’s one thing that unites all of us in this room and it’s that we really love this community and we really are fighting to make it a community that we are all so proud to be a part of,” Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatworth, said following Budman’s remarks. “(We) want to continue to build so that our neighbors and community members continue to thrive.”
City of Santa Clarita Councilman Jason Gibbs was at the No.1 spot of the Top 51 for the very first time, but he’s no stranger to the recognition as he’s been nominated on the list in previous years.
Each time he has received the recognition, he describes it as a humbling experience and a testament to years of effort and a journey that began more than six and a half years ago, when he first realized he wanted to be more involved in his community.
“You never stop,” Gibbs said, when asked what trait a leader needs, to take on the challenge of serving others. “Being influential, being a leader, it doesn’t matter if you feel like you’ve lost one day or won the next. You just never stop.”
“The city doesn’t happen without everyone on this list. It doesn’t happen without all the contributions made before us and those who will come after us,” he added.
“Don’t change yourself, be true to your principles and let that be what guides you,” he said, and also acknowledged his wife for her unwavering support.
As her first time being recognized, business owner Kim Kurowski of A-1 Party was delighted to be No. 51 and prides herself in providing support to local nonprofit organizations whose missions really speak to her.
“(I’m) very honored because everybody up here in the Top 51 are amazing people,” she said. Kurowski has earned the Woman of the Year award in 2024, among other recognitions. “I do it because the nonprofits need help and some things are very close to my heart. I’ve been involved with the community for almost 40 years now and giving back, trying to help out with the nonprofits, doing some decorations when they need for their fundraisers, makes me feel good.”
Multiple others named to the Top 51 list expressed similar sentiments:
Harleen Grewal, a local dentist and business owner, never expected to be in the Top 51, but hoped to one day achieve it. This year she was named No. 45.
“It’s just so nice to be amongst the people that I look up to and all of my mentors and just friends that I look up to,” Grewal said. “Courage, and standing up to what’s right and continuing to build with courage,” are some things Grewal has in mind when trying to lead the community. “You have all of these people looking up to you, so you’re paving the way forward for young leaders.”
“Being a Santa Claritian, it means a little bit more. I didn’t think it would be possible,” said Steffanie Stelnick, a local attorney who is involved with multiple nonprofits. She was this year’s No. 50 on the list. “I’m going to continue showing up. Being there whenever I can for Santa Clarita to make sure we continue to be the best city in California, the best city in the county … and keep one foot in front of the other so I can take his spot soon,” she said jokingly as she pointed at Gibbs.
“Santa Clarita is so blessed to have so many hardworking, dedicated, loving, professionals who give to this community, who invest their time, energy, business efforts, charitable efforts,” said attorney Denise Lite, who was No. 49 on the list. “All it takes is to have a servant’s heart and a desire to make a positive impact in the community in which you live. And this is such a great community and that is a result of all of the people here who have, you know, made the effort to make it great.”
“We really look at our community and how can we best prepare our students so that when they leave us, they can not only do whatever they want to do, and come back and be a part of the community,” said Michael Vierra, William S. Hart Union High School District Superintendent and No. 16 of the Top 51.
“From the city organization, we work every day on behalf of the residents, and we work with a lot of these amazing influential people to give back and make the best community that it can be,” said Carrie Lujan, the city’s communications manager.
Jason Crawford, the city’s director of community development and No. 27 of the Top 51 list, added: “We’re lucky here, that we have a lot of leaders who listen. And that helps you build teams and get everybody moving in the right direction. And so having a good leader or leaders like we do here in Santa Clarita makes the whole community that much better.”
Signal Staff Writer Kamryn Martell contributed to this report.
