JOHN BARNHARDT (’90)
Good communication is central to John Barnhardt, both in his vocation and his avocation.
He’s helping spearhead an $88 million project to bring broadband and cell service to 65 villages in his native Alaska for General Communications, Inc., the largest phone and broadband provider in Alaska. His focus is specialized telecommunications for health care and education, particularly in rural settings. This project will bring over 9,000 families better health care, more choices in schooling through distance education, and the ability to participate in the modern digital economy. The drive to support others through communication doesn’t stop there. As first-time parents, Barnhart and his wife, Liz, with then two-month-old Evan, joined a peer support group through the Program for Early Parent Support. Weekly meetings with other PEPS parents whose babies were exactly Evan’s age became “a trusted and consistent forum,” Barnhardt said. “It was incredibly helpful for us both personally and in relation to the other parents. We’re not crazy. This is hard – the schedule, the sleeping, everything.” Today, Barnhardt leads the board of directors of Seattle’s PEPS, which typically forms new groups before birth. Eight to 12 families begin meeting when the babies are very young, sometimes only a couple of weeks old. Many groups create close friendships that provide peer support and companionship for a lifetime. “It’s kind of a full circle for me,” Barnhardt says. He always has oriented himself toward helping others. After graduating from Gonzaga in 1990 with majors in math and computer science, he served two years in the Peace Corps. Along the way, he learned how non-profits work. Today, he sees his work for PEPS, using best practices to keep the organization sound and strong, as a way to help thousands of families in the Seattle area. His fellow board members are important, too. “It’s often people’s first experience on a non-profit board,” he said. “We try to make it an engaging and constructive experience – a good learning experience – so that someday they are able to move on to another non-profit and be an effective board member.” – Marny Lombard
RAJAH BOSE
JOHN BARNHARDT’S VOICE QUICKENS WITH EXCITEMENT WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT CHANGES IN EDUCATION AND MEDICAL CARE COMING TO ALASKAN VILLAGES.
WINTER 2012 | GONZAGA MAGAZINE
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