Barbara Young
Board Member

Barbara Young was born in Waterloo, Iowa but moved to California as a teenager. She attended UCLA and just one semester short of graduation landed a job teaching “by accident” in a classroom of 3rd graders in Riverside CA. She’d like to apologize to those kids!!! Within a short time she became certified to teach and was launched into a program for Kindergarten – 3rd graders identified as gifted children city-wide. Barbara’s path and passion into the field of education was set. She moved to San Francisco, married, and soon absorbed the various cultural gems of the area including the SF Symphony. Boat building, home building, and sailing occupied their free time.

Professionally, Barbara moved from the classroom to administration and retired as Superintendent of Schools in Sonoma, California. Following her retirement she spent several years working as a consultant in executive searches and leadership training. Barbara has served on numerous volunteer boards and organizations and has been recognized for her community service for efforts ranging from her philanthropic efforts and fund raising to public advocacy for youth and supporting leadership. A joy after retirement has been travel. She moved to Bellingham in 2017 and joined the Bellingham Festival Board in 2022.