Houston Barber
Frankfort Independent Schools Superintendent Houston Barber, who wears numerous hats in the community, received the Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce’s Community and Civic Leadership Award on Thursday.
In addition to leading the school district, Barber, a graduate of Marquette University, serves as president-elect of the Kentucky Association for School Superintendents; vice chair of Kentucky Capital Development Corp.; board member of Bluegrass State Skills Corp.; and co-chair of the board of managers for the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Institute for School Principals.
He also mentors new school superintendents through the Kentucky Association for School Administrators and was tapped to serve on the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development transition team by Gov. Andy Beshear.
“This award is really special because I believe that it represents what my leadership is about, which is inspiring a vision and helping others to reach out and achieve those goals and visions,” Barber said in his acceptance speech.
“I am passionate about getting students opportunities. I’m also committed to them wanting to be in Frankfort to support what we’re doing in Frankfort and to provide a lifetime of experiences for kids to come.”
Barber earned both a PhD in educational leadership and organizational change and a master's in educational leadership in administration from the University of Louisville.
Lisbon Hardy, city president for WesBanco, which sponsored the award, said that Barber is known for his communication and collaborative skills, equity focus, fiscal management, policy development and instructional effectiveness.
“He’s ensured safe modes of teaching, provided learning opportunities for every child regardless of circumstances, partnered with Cumberland Family Medical Center to counsel and support students and worked with T-Mobile to provide internet access with hot spots,” Hardy added. “His creative work also includes working with Kentucky State University to provide early college for students.”
Barber thanked the many people who helped make the award possible, including students, families, school board members, staff and his wife, Darra, and their four children, McLain, Preson, Kenzie and Parker.
“My family supports the work I do and that we do together, so I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my family — my four kids and my wife, who has been a rock through this pandemic and the many years we’ve been together,” he said.
Barber also challenged others local folks to get more involved.
“It is our civic duty and responsibility to serve in the community where we work and live,” he added.
The Chamber will announce the winner of the final award, Business of Year, on Friday. The Chamber's awards normally are presented at the group's annual meeting and dinner, but the awards were presented virtually this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Post a comment as
Report
Watch this discussion.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
State-Journal.com’s comments forum is for civil, constructive dialogue about news topics in our community, state, nation and world. We emphasize “civil” at a time when Americans, in the words of the current president, need to “turn down the temperature” of political debates. The State Journal will do its part by more carefully policing this forum. Here are some rules that all commenters must agree to follow:
Absolutely no attacks on other commenters, on guest columnists or on authors of letters to the editor. Our print and online opinion pages are sacred marketplaces of ideas where diverse viewpoints are welcome without fear of retribution. You may constructively critique the ideas and opinions of others, but name-calling, stereotyping and similar attacks are strictly prohibited.
Leeway will be given for criticism of elected officials and other public figures, but civility is essential. If you focus your criticism on ideas, opinions and viewpoints, you will be less likely to run afoul of our commenting rules.
Keep comments focused on the article or commentary in question. Don’t use an article about the Frankfort City Commission, for example, to rant about national politics.
Hyperpartisanship that suggests anyone on the other side of an issue or anyone in a particular particular party is evil is not welcome. If you believe that all Democrats are socialists intent on destroying America or that all Republicans are racists, there are lots of places on the internet for you to espouse those views. State-Journal.com is not one.
No sophomoric banter. This isn’t a third-grade classroom but rather a place for serious consumers of news to offer their reactions and opinions on news stories and published commentary.
No consumer complaints about individual businesses. If you’ve had a bad experience with a private business or organization, contact the Better Business Bureau or the government agency that regulates that business. If you believe the actions of a private business are newsworthy, contact us at news@state-journal.com and we will consider whether news coverage is merited.
Absolutely no jokes or comments about a person’s physical appearance.
No promotion of commercial goods or services. Our outstanding staff of marketing consultants stands ready to help businesses with effective advertising solutions.
If you state facts that have not been previously reported by The State Journal, be sure to include the source of your information.
No attacks on State Journal staff members or contributing writers. We welcome questions about, and criticism of, our news stories and commentary but not of the writers who work tirelessly to keep their community informed. Corrections of inaccurate information in news stories should be sent to news@state-journal.com rather than posted in the comments section.