Paradise Valley resident Barbara Barrett was appointed this month to the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents.  She will serve a six-year term as a citizen regent on the board that is the governing body of the renowned institution that consists of 19 museums and nine research centers. In addition, the Smithsonian has numerous relationships with other cultural and research institutions. Her appointment to the board of regents was signed by President Barack Obama on January 10th and her term began immediately. No stranger to the Smithsonian, she also served as a member of the National Air and Space Museum in the 1980s, and has spent much of the last ten years serving on the Smithsonian National Board.

Prior to accepting the position, Barrett completed a stint as interim president of Glendale’s Thunderbird School of Global Management. She is CEO of luxury resort Triple Creek Guest Ranch, located in Darby, Montana. She also serves on the governing boards of the RAND Corporation, Aerospace Corporation, Sally Ride Science Foundation, Lasker Foundation and Space Foundation.