Barry Zoeller

BarryZoeller

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I recently had the pleasure of getting to know long-time Bakersfield (and Windermere at Seven Oaks) resident and business leader Barry Zoeller. Read my conversation with him below, where I learned how he uses his natural gifts of communicating and storytelling to educate and inspire others …

Barry, you have an interesting background. Share how your unique educational and career path led you to where you are today. I was born in Pittsburgh, PA, and as a child also lived in Florida and North Carolina. When I was age 7, my family moved to Orange County, CA. When it was time for college, I enrolled at Loyola Marymount University on a speech and debate scholarship. When I was there, though, I started to sense a different calling, to be a minister. I transferred to Ozark Christian College in Joplin, MO, where I also met my wife, Michelle. After getting married and needing a job to support my family, I thought about local television news. I had always been

an avid watcher, and with my speech and debate background, I thought it would be a good fit. So, I went to a local T.V. station, KODE-TV, knocked on their door, and asked if I could audition. They let me do some writing and allowed me to try out in front of the camera. Within a year, I was anchoring the 10 p.m. news! I went to my college classes in the morning, then anchored the evening news, Monday through Friday.

After graduation, I received an offer from WHO-TV in Des Moines, IA, a station with some history, as former President Ronald Reagan had once worked there. I took the job, realizing I had a unique opportunity to bring my Christianity into the workplace. A few years later, we made another move to Phoenix, AZ, because I had decided to leave the media and give the local ministry a shot. Yet after six months in that role, I realized that as much as I loved God, being a local pastor wasn’t for me. It just wasn’t my calling, and I knew God had other plans for me.

And you returned to a career in media? We then moved to Orange County (where I grew up), and I worked in the film industry, with an emphasis on Christian films. I wrote, produced, and directed an award-winning film called, “The Prosecutor,” a modern-day version of events within the book of Acts when the apostles were arrested for preaching about Christ’s resurrection. The story involves how this event could have played out differently in modern-day. It was released in 1983 and is still available! Retitled “The Resurrection Trial,” the movie can be streamed on Amazon.

Contributed by Linda Griess Photography by Valdophye Photography

This is Barry in a nutshell … always in touch with his wife, Michelle.

Tell us what brought you to Bakersfield, and ultimately, your current role with Tejon Ranch. We moved to Bakersfield in the early ‘90s, where I joined KERO-TV as a news anchor, reporter, and eventually, news director. I made another move in 2000 to become the executive director of the Kern County Board of Trade, where my role was to promote the county, especially in terms of tourism and film production. That role made me the Kern County Film Commissioner. Being involved in economic development led me to work closely with Tejon Ranch’s senior executives, including president & CEO Bob Stine and senior VP Joe Drew. One day, Joe approached me and let me know the company was looking to create a communications department. They wanted to openly share the Ranch’s story – what it was about, what they were involved in, and their plans and vision for the future. He asked if I knew of anyone who might be interested in taking on that role. I had always admired Tejon Ranch from afar, and when I read the job description, I knew the person they were looking for was me. As it turned out, that was their intention all along, and I joined the team in 2004.

What’s been the most fulfilling aspect of helping to tell the Tejon Ranch story? As Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, I’ve had the opportunity to help Tejon Ranch enhance its reputation, reach a broader audience, and be more open and accessible to the public. There are so many experiences I could share, like ringing the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, but these two really come to mind. The company’s 500-acre donation for the development of the Bakersfield National Cemetery is an important part of the Tejon Ranch legacy. It took many years to make it happen – but we

finally broke ground in December 2008, and the first interments occurred in July 2009. I’ll always remember that groundbreaking – there was a low fog enshrouding the oak trees and the beautiful hills that surround that area. As the ceremony was ending, the sun suddenly burst through the fog, and beams of light shone down upon us. That moment was just so beautiful and meaningful, and to this day, those of us who were there still talk about it.

Another exciting experience was being a part of the planning and development of the Outlets at Tejon. We hosted retail representatives from companies like Ralph Lauren Polo, GAP, and Coach, taking them on a tour of the bare ground along Interstate 5, sharing our vision for what was possible. On the night before the Outlets opened, we had a preview party, giving $100,000 in ticket-sale proceeds to local charities, including The Boys and Girls Club, Junior League of Bakersfield, Links for Life, and CASA. The next day at the grand opening, in true Tejon Ranch style, we rang a triangular bell, a ranch tradition that calls cowboys to supper. It signified the Outlets at Tejon were officially open! It was exciting to see this concept go from vision to reality.

Let’s talk more personally. Tell me about your family and your life in the Seven Oaks community. This summer, Michelle and I will celebrate our 45th anniversary. We have two sons. Our oldest, Michael, is married with two children, a daughter and a son. Michael’s an eighth-grade History teacher at Freedom Middle School here in Bakersfield. Our youngest, Jordan, is married with one son and works as a land surveyor in Vista, CA. He’s also an Army veteran, having served for eight years, including two tours in Iraq.

Michelle and I have been in Bakersfield for 30 years, and we really cherish what this city represents; people, community, relationships, and helping each other. We’ve lived in the Windemere at Seven Oaks community since 2014, and we love it! It’s very walkable and has several parks. It’s a very diverse community with plenty of empty nesters like us as well as scores of families with young children. It’s beautiful, well-kept, and architecturally diverse. Parts of it remind me of Disneyland! It’s truly a neighborhood and is unlike any place we’ve previously lived.

When you’re not working, how do you like to spend your time? I’m part of a Saturday morning men’s golf group - we’ve been playing together for nearly two decades. Church is an important part of our lives. Since moving here, I’ve also been involved with many nonprofits. I’m currently a Kern County Museum Foundation trustee, and I’ve served on the boards of CASA (two times as president), Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce, Kern EDC, Bakersfield Museum of Art, Camp Keep, Bakersfield Chapter of the American Heart Association, and Vision 2020.

Something people may not know about you is that you recently published an inspirational book. Tell me more about that. In October 2021, I published my first book, “Words of Refuge, Finding Hope in a Pandemic Year (A 365 Day Devotional Journal).” It shares my thoughts and journey during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. People were struggling, locked down; they couldn’t go to church school and often couldn’t see their families in person. To offer some help, I committed to posting something encouraging and faith-building on social media every day to try and lift their spirits. Like

many, I expected this situation to only last a few weeks, and here we are, two years into it. As time went on, a few of my social media followers suggested I bring these posts together in a book to help build hope, encouragement, trust, and faith, focusing on the word and promises of God. In the book, I share the news headlines from the day of the post, along with corresponding Bible verses and words of encouragement. The daily reads are short, so you can enjoy as much or as little as you want at a time. The book is available on Amazon. com (paperback and Kindle) and can also be purchased from Majesty Bible and Gifts here in Bakersfield. And I’m still doing my daily social media posts!

You’ve accomplished so much in your personal and professional life. Through all of these experiences, what’s meant the most to you? I’ve been fortunate to play a part in promoting Bakersfield and Kern County’s economic development, a passion of mine for many years. I’m grateful to have played a supporting role in our area’s growth and success. Yet what’s most important to me is my faith. In response to what God has done for me, I want to always honor Him in what I do and how I do it. Someday, when my Tejon Ranch days are over, I’ll find new and additional ways to use the gifts He’s blessed me with to continue honoring Him. That’s a role I’ll have forever.

Barry’s book, Words of Refuge.

MC’ing a Chamber event.

Zoeller family gathering.

At Banducci Farms with grandkids, Amelia & Andrew.

A little travel fun to Pike Place, Seattle.

Being interviewed at the Outlets at Tejon grand opening.

Ringing the closing bell at the NYSE.

“Matching Day” with son Michael & grandson, Andrew.

Feeding the crew aboard the USS Lincoln, 2012.

Memorial Day, 2018, at the Bakersfield National Cemetery.

At “the Hacienda” with Michelle.