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07/24/2024 08:30 AMAt virtually the same time, Barbara Barrett was humbled and honored to learn that her volunteer contributions to her Branford community have made big waves among two of the shoreline’s most prestigious recognition programs. Barbara has been selected to receive both a 2024 Shore Publishing Beacon Award and a 2024 Shoreline Chamber of Commerce (SCC) Women of Excellence Award.
Every year, Shore Publishing, which publishes The Sound, recognizes volunteers across the shoreline with the Beacon Awards. Beacons are given to those who selflessly step up to contribute their time and talent to the betterment of their neighbors and communities.
The annual SCC Women of Excellence awards recognize women of Branford, North Branford, and Guilford for their exceptional leadership and as role models of the many ways women choose to define success in their lives, according to a SCC press release.
As president of nonprofit Friends of the Blackstone Memorial Library, Barbara applies the expertise gained during her 36 years in the telecommunication industry, including a 10-year career with AT&T. She’s managed large employee tech teams, huge budgets, and has headed up cutting-edge technology projects.
“During the last 10 years of my career, I was managing a lot of those teams remotely,” says Barbara. “So a lot of my work was about communicating with them effectively and motivating them to get them to work toward the goal.”
Heading up an all-volunteer organization requires not only a strong leader but someone who recognizes and appreciates the willingness of its members to get involved. As one Beacon nominator said, “...Barbara personifies leadership, the kind of leadership that gets commitment from others by first giving it oneself and by becoming a catalyst for transforming the combined talents of many into effective results.”
“We can only be successful at the Friends because of the wonderful community volunteers we have that are willing to dedicate their time to support what we are doing,” says Barbara. “I certainly appreciate them and encourage them. I try not to ever turn down anyone who wants to volunteer. We try to find something for them to be part of because it’s good to be part of something bigger.”
After retiring from AT&T, Barbara joined the circulation staff at the Blackstone, which then led to her joining the Friends as an active member in 2017. As a group, the all-volunteer Friends are dedicated to supporting literacy and enrichment programs for Branford and surrounding communities through the organization’s efforts and funding contributions to the Blackstone Library.
“Working at the library, I understood how much it meant to the library,” says Barbara. “Without Friends’ support, a great majority of the enrichment programs - the concerts, the lectures - would not happen. That support is so critical because libraries have evolved to be a place not only where you check out books, but as a social center where people gather.”
Barbara has been a member of the board of the Friends of the Blackstone Library since 2019. She’s now in her third year as Friends president. One of her first goals as president was to sharpen the group as an organization, she recalls.
“I wanted to bring more structure to the group. I come from a management background, and I’ve led large groups, so I wanted to be sure all the processes were in place,” says Barbara.
She also worked to engage more people.
“There was a lot of work being done by a very few people, and I thought it would be good to bring more community members into helping to support this wonderful institution,” she says.
As one Beacon nominator wrote, Barbara “...demonstrates a knack for fostering a creative volunteer environment, generating community engagement, and just making people within the community feel appreciated and providing them with the opportunity to make a positive impact in their community.”
Barbara is now credited with engaging over 70 dedicated Friends volunteers year-round.
“It’s to the point now where I struggle to fit in any new volunteers,” she shares.
Beacon judges were also impressed with the nominators’ recognition of Barbara’s collaborative spirit, evidenced by working closely with community members, library staff, and trustees, which has led to higher engagement from the Branford community and created a higher fundraising trajectory for the Friends.
Under Barbara’s leadership, the Friends regularly generate an annual income of over $160,000. The income is needed not only to help support the Blackstone but to defray operating expenses, including warehousing tens of thousands of donated books. Year-round, the books are collected, sorted, and readied by Friends volunteers for the Friends’ annual Fall Book Sale on Town Green, its main fundraiser. Barbara has also led the Friends in generating additional revenue to support the library with programs including online book sales and efforts such as attracting event sponsors.
Barbara notes the Friends’ concerted efforts result in giving the library a sizable monetary gift each year. In the past six years, the Friends have raised over $400,000 for the library, boosting the total Friends’ contribution to the library to $1 million since the group was formed 30 years ago.
As the Friends’ liaison to the Blackstone Board of Trustees, Barbara brings news of the groups’ efforts and contributions to the trustees at monthly meetings.
“At those meetings, I have a slot on each agenda every month to talk about the value of Friends and what we’re doing. I’m starting to see more understanding from the Trustees and more engagement and support from them,” she says. “They’re getting my pitch about what we do, and it helps to give them a better picture.”
A Branford resident since 1983, Barbara credits her husband, past Beacon Award winner Joe Genua, with his volunteer work and support to help her to contribute her best to the Friends. Joe is also a member of the Friends Board of Directors.
“It’s a great partnership that we have because we’re both very in tune with supporting Friends,” says Barbara. “We’re both on the same page with our time and involvement because we both do this.”
Being recognized with awards for her contributions to Branford and the Blackstone is both a pleasant surprise and an honor for Barbara. She says she is humbled because there are so many who are equally passionate about giving back by supporting the Friends.
“I’m very honored and thrilled to be nominated and selected. It’s very nice to be recognized,” Barbara says. “I think there’s a great deal of very generous people in the community who help. It’s not only the volunteers; but all of our supporters, donors, and business sponsors. It’s a great community, and I think I can only be successful because of everything and everyone here in the community who are so giving and supportive.”