Barbara Kakiris, M.St., OCPM

Barbara Kakiris is President of the Junior League of Cleveland, OH (JLC). She served in leadership including Nominating Director and Sustainer Board Representative and received the League's Frances Payne Bolton and Ruth T. Lucas Awards. Her presidency advanced JLC by setting a tone of excellence—under her leadership, they rightsized organizational structure, reinstated requirements, entered into a new community investment, and updated bylaws.  Professionally, Barbara was most recently Chief of Staff (COS) at The MetroHealth System. In this capacity, she supported leadership in the super safety net healthcare system's strategy and operations. Prior to her foray into the healthcare arena, she spent a decade in higher education (as Deputy COS at Cleveland State University (CSU) and Director of Summer Programs at Kenyon College) and 20 years in the federal government at NASA's Glenn Research Center (GRC). At GRC, she helped execute Vice President (VP) Gore's visit and received a Congressional Achievement Award. She was appointed to the Agency's Women’s Outreach Initiative and supported the launch of first female Mission Commander, Eileen Collins. Barbara also assisted the STS-107 crew (tragically lost during the Columbia accident).  She earned various honors for PR, protocol, and event management, most notably a NASA Public Service Medal, OneNASA Peer Award, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Equality Award. At Kenyon, Barbara created a $1.3 million enterprise leveraging months in between schoolyears by making the campus a desired event destination, enabling economic development for Knox County by providing year-round jobs and tourism. She created an admissions pipeline and netted new donors/supporters. She was board chair for the Convention and Visitors Bureau and New Directions (domestic abuse shelter/rape crisis center), making lasting impact on the larger community. Barbara was lead for First Lady Michelle Obama’s last stop on the campaign trail before her husband’s re-election and for VP candidate Tim Kaine when he toured during Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Her proudest accomplishment was being elected a councilwoman responsible for managing the Village of Gambier. Barbara earned the Association of Collegiate Conference and Events Directors International’s Outstanding Individual Achievement Award and several of Kenyon’s highest awards. As CSU’s Deputy COS, Barbara executed a wide range of complex and highly sensitive initiatives including the first Black Homeownership Event to be hosted in Cleveland, which involved Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, and U.S. Representative Tim Ryan. A lifelong learner, she completed certifications from CSU, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, The Brookings Institution, and The Protocol School of Washington.