Barbara’s career spans a lifetime in the not-for-profit sector, beginning with youth/family therapy and crisis intervention counseling for the City of South Bend, IN, on through to a 25 year career with Rotary International (RI). At RI she spent 10 years with The Rotary Foundation as head of International Educational Scholarships, administering 1000+ awards yearly spanning 170 countries, and then was recruited to Rotary International’s IT division, ultimately retiring in 2007 as Associate Chief Information Officer. She has extensive training and experience both in IT and not for profit administration, including having consulted with Washington Square Health Foundation.
Barbara undertook a double major and received her BA in Writing and Sociology from Seton Hill University, and her MA in Sociology from the University of Notre Dame. In the course of her training and career she also studied at Cornell University and received certification in The Art of Leadership from Northwestern University as well as numerous IT certifications.
Barbara cares passionately about improving the lives of those who are less fortunate and in dire need. She has engaged in volunteer work throughout her life, writing grants for Howard Brown Health Center and Alexian Brothers Bonaventure House, among others. Over the past fifteen years Barbara has dedicated herself to the area of companion animal rescue, both directly helping animals and additionally attending humane training/legislative conferences and seminars towards saving lives and sharing sheltering, medical care, marketing, and adoption best practices. She is currently a volunteer manager with PACT Humane Society located in the NW suburbs of Chicago.
In response to joining the board, Barbara said “I feel very honored and thrilled to be a member of the Board of Directors of Washington Square Health Foundation. Having consulted with the foundation over time, I have been consistently impressed with the very broad spectrum of areas served; as well as the creative energy of the foundation management and the maximizing of every dollar spent- through innovation and collaboration- toward fulfilling the health care needs of the Chicagoland community.”
