Barbara Barreno-Paschall, JD/MPP
I am a Latina lawyer, civic leader, and Harvard Alumni Association Elected Director.
About Barbara
Background
I was born and raised in Southern California and graduated from Harvard College in 2007. I am also a graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School and the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.
From 2019 to 2024, I served as Vice Chair and Commissioner of the State of Illinois Human Rights Commission, appointed by Governor JB Pritzker in 2019 and reappointed in 2023. Previously, I worked as an attorney at the global law firm Sidley Austin LLP and the Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.
I am also passionate about foreign policy. I am a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a 2023 Marshall Memorial Fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
Service is an important part of my life. My volunteer activities include serving as Board Vice President of Harvard Alumni for Global Women's Empowerment and as Elected Director of the Harvard Alumni Association, which serves over 400,000 alumni worldwide.
In my free time, I enjoy traveling, visiting new restaurants with my family, watching documentaries, and running 5Ks, 10Ks, and other races.