Alumnae Spotlight

Barbi Hayes ‘89

Six years after graduating from College of Saint Mary, Barbi Hayes ’89 was the first woman appointed to the Douglas County Planning Commission in 1995. She was elected the first woman chairman in 2003.

“At College of Saint Mary, I felt we were guided in how to be a contributing part of a bigger piece,” Barbi said. “CSM taught us to gain our feminine power with subtlety, a soft voice and a prayer. I haven’t quite fully implemented the soft voice yet, but one of these days!”

When Barbi enrolled at CSM, she was considered a “nontraditional” student, which took some adjustment.

“CSM gave me a sense of community where caring is the norm, a sense of self, to believe in oneself, along with a sense of others and a belief in diversity, and a sense of purpose, a higher purpose for which to strive,” she said. “And CSM as an influence in my life is like a novel continually being written.”

Since earning her degree in biology, Barbi founded and operated the Hayes Environmental LLC, an environmental regulatory and research company, from 1994 to 2020. Hayes Environmental’s research has been published in International Journal of Wildland Fire and Rangeland Ecology & Management.

Barbi is the owner of MoonRise Gallery, an art gallery in Old Towne Elkhorn. She’s also the partner in two multi-state farming operations, Soybean Babes LLC and Roy Johnson Family Ltd Partnership.

Barbi was one of nine alumnae honored with the Alumni Achievement Award during Homecoming on Sept. 21.