Barbara Whitehorn

Barbara holds an MBA with concentrations in Finance, Accounting and Operations Research from the University of Texas at Dallas and a BA in the History of Art from Bryn Mawr College. She is a Certified Treasury Professional with the Association for Financial Professionals. Barbara has worked in tax, healthcare financial management, and the not-for-profit sector. She gained her first governmental experience serving as Accounting Manager and Controller for the cities of Corinth and Arlington, Texas, before moving to Asheville, North Carolina, where she served as Finance Director and Chief Financial Officer for seven years. During her tenure Asheville achieved a AAA rating for their General Obligation bonds for the first time, and was the first City in North Carolina to issue Green Bonds. Barbara was a founding signatory to the Green Bonds Pledge on behalf of the City of Asheville at the 2018 at the Global Climate Action Summit, where she was a representative at an international roundtable on climate and green bonds.

In February, 2021, Barbara accepted the role of Finance Director for the City of San Bernardino, California. Since then she has taken on various roles with the City, including leading the HR and Risk Management Department, as well as Information Technology. She led the City through successful collective bargaining, and currently serves as Director of Finance and Management Services.

Barbara has a passion for public service that drives her to seek what others may perceive as problematic or uncertain opportunities, positions with high turnover and challenging communities. These are the jobs that inspire her! Communities that have been underserved or have faced significant challenges in the past. She believes that the role of a public servant is to provide the community they serve the best service, stewardship of assets and highest level of transparency.