By definition, Carol Barnes is a leader in every sense of the word. Through organizing WIL, Barnes helped to create an infrastructure of social influence with grassroots political organizing. WIL maximizes candidates' efforts on the campaign trail by PAC endorsements and works towards the achievement of helping more women obtain public office. Ultimately, Barnes's methods of taking initiative, standing up against institutionalized prejudices, and empowering others have defined her unique vision of service for women and leadership in Orange County.

she took initiative in the face of adversity.

As an associate professor of education at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF), Dr. Barnes began to involve herself in politics by serving on the school's academic senate committee in the early 1990s. She immediately faced discrimination and bias in campus politics where women were regularly considered an anomaly. Rather than give in to these institutionalized prejudices, she took the initiative to run against naysayers and eventually earned a seat on the California state academic senate committee. Once in office, Barnes’s new position allowed her to interact with like-minded individuals who shared a passion for promoting other marginalized women in politics. This idea manifested into the creation of Women in Leadership (WIL) in 1993.

WIL became a political action committee whose values embodied Barnes and her colleague’s endorsements of bipartisanism and pro-choice. Determined to enact meaningful changes for women suffering from discrimination like her, Barnes directed her efforts towards overcoming gender inequalities in politics by organizing local campaigns in WIL.

SHE EMPOWERED OTHERS.

Organizing began at the grassroots level. At WIL, Barnes started small by aligning herself with local leaders such as O.C. Grand Jury member Marilyn Brewer and CSUF educational administrator Louise Alder. Together, Barnes and her colleagues began making flyers and hosting community fundraisers in order to garner support for their new political action committee and potential candidates. All the while, she continued to teach at the university and serve on multiple academic councils.

In Her Own Words:

"And from there, it just started taking off. We worked as a group to decide what kinds of people we would support. We started out just supporting women for election to state and national offices...and we would not support anybody at that time if they were running against a pro-choice male who was supportive of women because we thought that’s a losing cause."

"We wanted to put our money where we’d make a difference. So then, we branched out realizing that most women who go into politics start at the school board level, so we started looking at women who were on school boards...And if they wanted to run for mayor or something like that we would help them."

Barnes’s involvement in WIL created much-needed support for Orange County women running for office. She defines WIL’s success as effectively raising seed money for candidates and “providing a sense of support and visibility for women in politics.” WIL triumphed in backing moderate and pro-choice women in Orange County, a noteworthy change from a political landscape dominated by mostly white males in the area. Standing up against institutionalized prejudices soon became “routine” in all aspects of her professional life.

Carol's impact

Carol Barnes's bipartisan PAC has come a long way since its founding in 1993. As of Spring 2020, WIL continues to endorse some of California's most prominent public officials such as Linda Sanchez, Katie Porter, Katrina Foley, Sharon Quirk-Silva, and Cottie Petrie-Norris. Beyond WIL, Carol's legacy can be also felt at CSUF, where the "Carol Barnes Excellence in Teaching Award" honors outstanding educators for their leadership and commitment to uphold the academic standards of the CSU system.

Despite starting small, facing gender biases, and occupying a full time job, Carol's story remains a testament to the effectiveness of local community organizing. She shows that by taking initiative, standing up for what you believe in, and empowering others, creating impactful change is not only possible but also attainable.