Barbara attended the University of Georgia to pursue her profession in Nursing, and also earned an Associate’s Degree in Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice from Springfield Technical Community College.
For more than 20 years, she worked as as a Program Nurse focusing on health, safety and well-being of children for Head Start in Springfield.
Barbara is a District 2 Ward 4 & 5 member of Springfield Public School Committee: first elected in 2009 and re-elected in 2013 and she was re-elected in 2017, as a School Committee Member. She serves as chair of the Student/Parent Concern and School Safety sub-committee.
She is the President of the Old Hill Neighborhood Council, she is the chair of the Springfield Public Health kick-off committee. Barbara is an active member of the Board of Directors for the Springfield Neighborhood Housing Services. She is a member of the Greater Springfield Dad’s Make a Difference Committee.
She was selected to be one of the 2013 “Go Red Leading Ladies” of Western MA. In 2016 Barbara received the “Change Agent Award” from Pioneer Valley Project for using her leadership to build community and improve lives. In 2017 she was the recipient of the William H. Carney Medal of Honor Award and The Massachusetts Unsung Heroines Award. She is also an active Trustee Board Member of New Jerusalem C.O.G.I.C. She recently received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Social Justice Award for Excellence in Education.
Current role