“Both my parents were teachers, so there wasn’t a lot of money for college,” said Barlow, who resides in Beavercreek.
She decided on an ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) scholarship and was accepted to Georgetown University in Washington. After graduating with a degree in psychology in 1988, she began her career with the United States Air Force, moving to Sacramento, California.
“My first 13 years in the Air Force I lived all over the world,” Barlow said. “I’ve been very blessed in my career, especially in leadership roles.”
Barlow eventually earned her doctorate in industrial organizational psychology. But Barlow remains humble, looking back fondly on her experiences and especially on her time in Dayton at Wright Patterson Air Force Base.
Barlow first came to Dayton for a three-year tour of duty from 1996-1999. Her husband, Tim Barlow, was also an Air Force officer and they had met on their first assignment in California. The couple returned to Dayton, home to Tim’s parents, in 2012 with their daughter Emma, who had lived all across the globe from birth, as the couple traveled with their careers.
“When we arrived back to Dayton in 2012, we weren’t planning to retire here,” Barlow said. “But we saw our daughter thriving in school and Tim’s mother (who passed away in 2018) started having medical issues, so we decided we should stay here.”
Barlow’s husband had made the decision to get out of the Air Force in the early 1990s based on the difficulty of the couple being assigned together. “When he got out of the Air Force, he decided to go to law school and pursue Intellectual Property law. He graduated from UD Law in 1999,” Barlow said.
She eventually achieved the rank of full colonel and was named commander of the 88th Air Base Wing at WPAFB in 2012. Barlow retired from the Air Force in 2014.
“My entire leadership career has been about developing airmen,” Barlow said. “It seemed like a natural fit for me to jump into workforce development roles.”
After a stint at Wright State University, doing just that, Barlow became the president at Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE). Over the years, she had also become involved with the Dayton community, particularly with organizations that support women in business and leadership roles. In her experience with leadership particularly, Barlow found she was often the only woman at the table.
“Gender may not have mattered at the time, but I know it does matter to future generations,” Barlow said.
In seeking out ways to support local women in their careers and leadership growth, Barlow began to attend events hosted by Women in Business Networking (WiBN) and others. WiBN, now part of the Better Business Bureau in Dayton, offers mentorships, programming and networking events designed for women who want to help other women.
“As a younger person, I saw a lot of competition among women,” Barlow said. “My favorite part of being part of WiBN was the ability to reach out to other women for support and being there for each other.”
Throughout it all, Barlow’s Christian faith has remained at the center of her life. So it seemed a natural fit when she was invited to join Women in Christian Leadership, (WiCL) a group conceived by Barlow’s friend, Jeanne Porter, who also founded WiBN.
Founded to encourage, educate and elevate women, WiCL differentiates itself from other organizations by keeping Christian faith at the center.
“Jeanne is so incredibly inspiring,” Barlow said. “I believe it’s her mission to invite people to the table from not only our local area but from all across the globe.”
Barlow joined the WiCL leadership team and is involved in strategic planning for the group.
“It’s always been a bit intimidating to share my faith with others in my professional roles,” Barlow said. “The older I get, the more comfortable I get with not hiding it.”
Barlow said that she doesn’t see herself as evangelizing, but expresses her faith to others through her actions, modeling integrity and acceptance.
“None of us is perfect,” Barlow said. “But there is so much more acceptance today in this world than ever before. I’ve worked with people of all faiths and respected all holidays and beliefs. I always think it’s best to accept people for who they are.”
Though daughter Emma has graduated from both Carroll High School (and Xavier University), Barlow continues to contribute by serving on the Carroll Board of Directors. In addition, she serves on boards for the Dayton Foundation Board, the Tate Foundation, the Wright Patt Credit Union Sunshine Fund, Girl Scouts of Western Ohio and Blue Star Families.
“I have tried to match my community work with what I do at my job with SOCHE,” Barlow said. “It all works together. This community has been so great to me and my family and I want to give back as long as I’m able.”
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