Meet Barbara

Barbara is a fourth-generation Coloradan working for a prosperous future for the state and district she loves. 

As a retired English and journalism teacher, she’s passionate about education. It’s not just the education in the classroom, she wants her constituents to be lifelong learners regarding a variety of issues: our future generations need clean water, sustainable energy, good jobs, and affordable college.

Barbara was raised in Lakewood, Colorado, the third of four children born to a wonderful set of parents. They taught her to be honest, hard-working, thrifty, and curious. Summers were spent at their mountain home or climbing Colorado’s Fourteeners; winters were spent skiing and snowshoeing.

Barbara earned a degree in journalism from Colorado State University in Fort Collins. After graduation, she was one of 12 journalism majors in the country to be selected as a Pulliam Fellow in Indianapolis. However, her heart was still in Colorado, so she accepted a job with the Durango Herald. While there, she wrote about life in the Southwest and created an environmental column, for which she won an award for best column in the state.

After starting a family with her husband, Michael, Barbara continued her education and graduated from Fort Lewis College with a degree in English and a teaching certificate. She later earned a master’s degree in learning and teaching from Regis University and received a certificate in college counseling from UCLA. 

She taught English and journalism at Durango High School for 20 years, was honored as the District 9-R Teacher of the Year in 2012, as the FFA team supporter in 2014, and was awarded a Lifetime Achievement award from the National Journalism Educators Association in 2014. 

After retirement, she worked as a college consultant. She was also a tutor and a student-teacher supervisor for Fort Lewis College.

Now as State Representative, Barbara promises to bring energy, civility, and open-mindedness to the job. She listens to all sides of an issue, and works closely with fellow representatives to find common ground, and fight for the District. She looks forward to a thriving future for Southwest Colorado. Barbara represents House District 59, which includes Archuleta, Montezuma, La Plata, and San Juan counties.