Her Guiding Workplace Belief
Serve others, help them reach their highest potential, and always lead with encouragement and clarity.
Her Superpower
Seeing the silver lining in everything. From life changes to red beet stains. She finds the good, the growth, or the gift in every situation.
Favorite Spot in Atlanta
You might catch Barbara on the dance floor at the American Legions Post 201 in Alpharetta. They have a fantastic dance floor and offer Country dance music on Saturday nights. Barbara and her husband enjoy dancing Country or Nightclub Two-step, Waltz, Cha-Cha, or Line-Dance.
Favorite Place in the World
Hamburg, her hometown, with its port - a gateway to the world; white sandy beaches, with turquoise blue oceans, and anywhere with snow-covered mountains.
Outside of Work
Barbara is an RV-camping enthusiast and loves the simplicity of “van life.” She and her husband, Roger, take regular trips in their camper and recently purchased a small plot in the Hiawassee mountains for weekend getaways. Simplicity, nature, and fresh air are her reset.
A Defining Moment in Her Career
Early in her time at J.A. Thomas, Barbara’s leader asked her to present at the company’s annual meeting, something that terrified her. But their confidence in her sparked a new path, ultimately resulting in five years of leading software and program implementations and presenting to hospital boards nationwide. That moment reshaped how she sees leadership, courage, and the power of believing in others.
About Barbara
Supporting the Team, Strengthening the System – The Heart Behind Handler Operations
Born and raised in Hamburg, Germany, Barbara brings a lifetime of hospitality, service, and operational excellence to her role as Strategic Operations Manager at Handler. Her career began in hotel management, a family tradition rooted in her father’s work as an executive chef, and took her across Switzerland’s most prestigious mountain and ski resorts before she moved to the U.S. in 2000.
In 2007, Barbara shifted from hospitality to healthcare consulting, joining J.A. Thomas & Associates, a boutique, values-driven firm much like Handler. What started as a customer service and support role quickly grew into a national project management role, where she traveled across the country, presenting to hospital leaderships and partnering with C-suite executives. It was an environment where service, precision, and people came first, values that resonate deeply with her.
When Barbara discovered Handler, the culture immediately felt familiar. She was drawn to the firm’s commitment to excellence, authentic leadership, and a team-first mindset. In her administrative role today, she arranges business development activities for the CEO with calendar and email management, while also strengthening internal systems and building the operational foundation that ensures the entire team can excel. She loves working behind the scenes, solving problems, organizing information, and enabling others to do their best work.
For Barbara, service isn’t a responsibility; it’s where she thrives.
What a Leader Worth Following Means to Barbara:
A leader worth following surrounds themselves with subject matter experts and brings together their different strengths to achieve a common goal. They don’t need to know everything; they organize, rally, and elevate the team so the whole organization flourishes.
Meet Oreo!
Oreo stayed behind when Felix, their son, went to Germany for four years to complete his bachelor’s degree. She is an indoor/outdoor cat with excellent communication skills, recounting her outdoor adventures and, at times, bringing them home too.
