A Tale of Two Boomers . . .

           

Stephen Barnes was born and raised in Southern California, attending public schools in Orange and Riverside counties. His first car was a 1952 Ford. He also began surfing in the 1950s, and credits this as one of his major life achievements. He attended U.C. Santa Barabra for a variety of reasons as an undergraduate, including the excellent reef brake at Rincon. Summer jobs have included lemon picker, carpet cleaner, busboy, and telephone repairman. As a graduate student he took up mountaineering, and has climbed every major peak in Oregon, most in Washingtion, and Mt. Whitney in California. He is an avid hiker and camper, mountain biker, beekeeper, and aloe gardener, writes poetry, and lives with a wife and three dogs (Norman pictured above), a cat, Japanese koi, turtles and frogs, and two beehives. He is trying to figure out what he is going to be doing for the next 20 years.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from San Diego State University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education (Leadership and Policy Studies) from the University of Oregon, with supporting areas in Counseling Psychology and the Philosophy of Science. His postdoctoral training includes higher education and administrative law (Universities of Oregon and Georgia), student rights and institutional responsibilities (Federal Bar Association), financial management (Stanford University/WACUBO), college and university management (Carnegie-Mellon University/NCHEMS), and information systems (IBM).

From 1977 through 1992 Dr. Barnes was a senior administrative officer at SDSU, serving initially as Assistant Dean of Students, and then Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs from 1983-1993. From 1993 through 1996 he was Vice President for Student Services and Enrollment Management of the California Maritime Academy, a campus of The California State University. His 25 years of experience as a manager in public higher education includes successfully administering multi-million dollar annual operating budgets ($3 to $18 million), overseeing the work of large staffs and multiple departments, directing and evaluating programs for students, including health services (primary care and health promotions), housing and residential life, financial aid, enrollment management, educational opportunity programs, disabled student services, career planning and placement, student activities, counseling services, student discipline, housing and residential life, food services, campus store, student government, and alcohol and drug education.

In 1997, Dr. Barnes left university administration to work full-time with graduate students in Education at San Diego State University and to pursue an active research agenda. To date, he has guided more than 95 Master's level theses and research projects. In 1997, he was also selected as a California State University Faculty Fellow, and in that capacity conducted a study for the California Office of the Governor on Distance Education. His primary research interest is in the area of drug control policy. He has conducted sponsored research and training in drug education for the U.S. Department of Education, and has presented papers at national conferences on mandatory drug testing in education and the transportation industries. His research and publication list is extensive, and includes empirical research, policy studies, manuals, and program evaluations. He has also developed numerous grant and project proposals, many of which have been multidisciplinary in nature involving the SDSU College of Education and School of Social Work, and the San Diego City Schools, County of Imperial, City of Calexico, and human services community agencies. Dr. Barnes has consulted widely in the higher education and non-profit communities, and currently serves as peer evaluator for federally-funded programs related to academically at-risk cohorts, students with disabilities, and ethnic minorities.

In 1999, he was asked by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census to manage Census 2000 for San Diego and Imperial Counties in California. With a reduced teaching load, he joined the Census 2000 team as a regional manager, and for the next twelve months directed 1,700 employees in eight time-critical field operations. The San Diego/Imperial Counties census region was one of the largest and most diverse in the continental U.S. It included 11 incorporated cities, thirteen Native American Tribes and Reservations, and the entire U.S./Mexico border from region San Diego to Arizona. In terms of area, the region was about the size of the entire state of New Jersey.

In addition to his academic service and research agenda, Dr. Barnes is Vice President and General Manager of the Dr. Wilderness Show, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) that develops and presents environmental curricula to young audiences (K-6). The in-school education programs (about 250 annually in Oregon, Washington, and California) are underwritten entirely by grants and performance contracts. Major sponsors include the San Diego County Water Authority, Municipal Water District of Orange County, City of Santa Barbara Public Works Department, Portland General Electric, Northwest Natural Gas, Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, Salem Electric, Salem Public Works, Eugene Water and Electric Board, and Columbia River Public Utility District. Other performance venues include the Ventura Science Discovery Center, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, National Orange Show, and performances in more than forty foreign countries. Recent world tours, some 100 performances outside the U.S., were booked in Germany, Japan, and Korea on behalf of the U.S. Department of Defense Dependents Schools (DODDs).

Dr. Barnes has received numerous awards and professional recognition from such organizations as the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), Apple Computer, and U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census (Los Angeles Region), and for community leadership from United Way of San Diego County, San Diego Rotary Club, and the Community Service Center for the Disabled (San Diego Access Center).

 

 

Patrick H. Davis, MSW, is a retired executive, currently co-developing a curriculum entitled, “Essential Skills for the 21st Century” in collaboration with Dr. Steve Barnes,  This course, “Baby Boomers – What Are You Going To Do For The Next 20 Years?” is the first of this curriculum.

Patrick possesses a B.A. in Psychology/Social Psychology (1977) from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), Master's in Social Work (1985) from Portland State University (PSU), and was a Ph.D. candidate (Behavior Sciences) during his academic career.  This academic training prepared him well for the realities of social work and the world of business. 

From 1977 until 1985 Patrick pursued career opportunities in the traditional setting of clinical social services, including group and individual therapy, in-patient psychiatric services and social work managment.  But by the early 1980’s, with the advent of Employee Assistance Program (EAP), everything changed.  Patrick began working with enlightened businesses that offered a broad range of in-house services including; clinical services such as individual, family, and group counseling, referral services for pre/post retirement, employment opportunities, elder/child care, and other related social services.  For the next 20 years his efforts would shift to supporting these progressive companies as they transform and modify their employee relations and business practices and help groups and individuals in the miraculous transformation – evolving from, “Brick and Mortar” (Industrial-based) economy to “Clicks and Pick” (Information-based) market place.  He empowered employees to rethink business models, embrace paradigm shifts and reinforce ethical standards in the way they did business.  Patrick aided in the creation of a decision making process that rewarded those who would think creatively to find their own meaning in the ever changing world.  He worked, one group at a time, facilitating applied critical thinking, offering solutions to and empowering others in this transition.  Today, this business model has found it way into the educational system swinging open the doors of opportunity to adult learners.  With his teaching certification from San Diego State University, Interwork Institute, Patrick wants to once again play a role to help empower others to manage and navigate their lives in the 21st century.