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These honors highlighted her role in fostering a unique company culture and advancing commercial air transportation.In 2005, Barrett was awarded the Horatio Alger Award by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, honoring her rise from humble beginnings to executive leadership through determination and ethical principles. Fujita weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.
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The airline consistently ranks first for lowest employee turnover and on-time performance, with employee engagement surveys showing 85% of staff describing the workplace as fun-loving.[44][45] Under her influence, Southwest achieved top rankings in customer satisfaction, including first place among economy-class passengers in the J.D.
Power 2024 North America Airline Satisfaction Study, driving loyalty through a model where happy employees deliver exceptional service.[46][47]
Legacy
Awards and Honors
Colleen Barrett received numerous accolades throughout her career, recognizing her pioneering leadership in the aviation industry and her embodiment of servant leadership principles at Southwest Airlines.bio for Colleen Barrett agency, manager, speaker fees, speaking agency entertainment booking agency, speaker's fee, how to book, booking agencies for lectures, speaking event, celebrity appearances for hire, who is agent, manager, publicist, who represents, speakers bureau management who represents Colleen Barrett
Colleen Barrett
Barrett Institute, established to honor her influence on leadership and culture in aviation and business.[5]
Early Life and Education
Family Background and Childhood
Colleen Barrett was born on September 14, 1944, in Bellows Falls, Vermont, into a lower-income family facing significant financial hardships.[3] Her father, Richard "Rich" Crotty, was a U.S.Navy veteran who worked in a local machine shop before taking a job as a postal employee; however, he struggled with alcoholism, which led to mental abuse within the household and culminated in his suicide in 1973.[3][6]Barrett's mother, Barbara Crotty (later Blanchard), served as a keypunch operator for a tool and die company and became the family's primary source of stability amid these challenges.[3] Described by Barrett as "our stronghold," her mother worked tirelessly to support the household, demonstrating remarkable generosity by welcoming others despite their own limited resources.[3] The family, which included Barrett and her two younger brothers, Dick and Pat, lived in a rented home until Barrett was 12, after which they built a modest three-bedroom house that tragically burned down the following year, forcing them to stay with relatives during rebuilding.[3][6]These circumstances fostered Barrett's early sense of responsibility and independence, as she often cared for her brothers after school while her mother worked.[3] The family's devout Catholic faith provided a refuge, particularly through attendance at Catholic school until the eighth grade, where Barrett found solace from her father's volatility and began developing the strong work ethic that would define her life.[3][6]
Formal Education
Colleen Barrett attended Becker Junior College's Worcester, Massachusetts, campus, where she pursued studies focused on legal secretarial training.She graduated in 1964 with an associate degree in legal secretarial studies, earning highest honors for her academic performance.[7][4][3]Following her graduation, Barrett relocated to Texas in 1967 with her family, drawn by her husband's military stationing in San Antonio and her ambition to build a career in legal administration amid limited personal resources.
Just months before her death, in 2024, she was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame by the Lone Star Flight Museum, honoring her trailblazing role as the first female president and chief operating officer of a major U.S. commercial airline.
Philanthropy and Enduring Impact
In 2021, Southwest Airlines established the Colleen C.Barrett Institute for Cultural Excellence and Customer Service to honor the company's 50th anniversary and Barrett's contributions, and to perpetuate her emphasis on servant leadership, employee empowerment, and customer-focused values such as the Golden Rule, Servant's Heart, Warrior Spirit, and Fun-LUVing Attitude.[48] The institute serves as a centralized resource for training, thought leadership, and practical tools to foster organizational cultures centered on people-first principles, drawing directly from Barrett's decades of experience in building Southwest's renowned employee-centric environment.[49]Barrett was deeply involved in charitable work, particularly with Catholic Charities of Dallas, where she served on the Charity Leadership Council to support community services for those in need, including aid for families facing economic hardship.[7] She also served on the Board of Directors for the Foundation for Women's Resources in Dallas, which promotes professional development and empowerment for women through programs like Leadership Texas.[7] Her contributions also included significant donations to her alma mater, Becker College, such as a $1 million gift in 2015 to establish the Colleen C.
Barrett Center for Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship, aimed at fostering innovative education and servant-hearted leadership among students.[9]Barrett championed mentorship for administrative professionals and women in leadership, exemplified by her designation as Mentor of the Month by Women's Enterprise in 2000, where she shared insights on career advancement and work-life balance for women entrepreneurs and executives.[7] This commitment inspired the Colleen Barrett Award for Administrative Excellence, an annual honor recognizing outstanding administrative professionals who embody her values of proficiency, empathy, and service, thereby encouraging ongoing professional growth in the field.[50]Beyond specific initiatives, Barrett's servant leadership philosophy has had a lasting influence on business practices, particularly in aviation and service industries, where it is cited in case studies as a model for employee-centric cultures that enhance retention, morale, and performance.[51][52] Her approach, prioritizing employee well-being to drive customer satisfaction, has been analyzed in leadership literature as a key factor in Southwest's sustained profitability and cultural resilience amid industry challenges.[17]
Death and Tributes
Colleen Barrett passed away on May 8, 2024, at the age of 79 in Dallas, Texas.[29][53] She died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, after a lifetime dedicated to Southwest Airlines.[53]Southwest Airlines announced her death the following day, hailing her as the "heart and soul" of the company and the "Queen of Hearts" for her pivotal role in fostering its employee-centric culture.[2][41] Memorial events honored her legacy, including a private funeral service on May 16, 2024, and a public celebration of life on May 29, 2024, at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, limited to Southwest employees and retirees.[54][55]Tributes from executives, employees, and industry peers emphasized Barrett's enduring impact on Southwest's culture of servant leadership and her steadfast advocacy for the company's no-layoff policy, which safeguarded jobs through economic turbulence and set it apart in the airline sector.[41][26] Former CEO Gary Kelly stated, "Southwest would not be Southwest without Colleen Barrett," crediting her with building the airline's unique spirit.[54] Employees shared personal stories of her warmth and dedication, while peers in aviation lauded her as a trailblazer who prioritized people over profits.[55][46].
Quick Facts
Colleen Barrett Biography
Colleen Barrett is one of the most popular and richest Manager who was born on September 14, 1944 in Bellows Falls, Vermont, United States.
Colleen Barrett Net Worth
| Net Worth | $5 Million |
| Source Of Income | Manager |
| House | Living in own house. |
Colleen Barrett is one of the richest Manager from United States.
She was also named to Forbes' list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women annually from 2004 to 2007, acknowledging her influence as one of the few women leading a major U.S. airline.In 2007, Barrett became the first woman to receive the Tony Jannus Award from the Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society, presented for her distinguished contributions to commercial air transportation, including her innovative approach to employee empowerment and customer service at Southwest Airlines.
In 2015, she donated $1 million—the largest individual gift in the college's history at the time—to establish the Colleen C. Barrett Center for Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Becker College. This approach, originally conceptualized by Robert K. Greenleaf in the 1970s, was central to Barrett's philosophy, where leaders act as stewards to empower their teams rather than exerting top-down control.[17][33]Key tenets of Barrett's servant leadership included fostering an egalitarian workplace where every individual, regardless of position, receives respect and opportunities to contribute meaningfully.
Southwest, under her guidance, maintained its no-layoff policy, providing job security to all employees without pay cuts or furloughs, even as competitors like United and American Airlines reduced their workforces by tens of thousands.[20] This approach aligned with the company's servant leadership philosophy, enabling Southwest to achieve profitability in 2001 and 2002—its 30th and 31st consecutive profitable years—while the industry collectively lost billions.[17]During her tenure, Barrett drove significant expansion while preserving Southwest's low-cost carrier model, which emphasized point-to-point routes, quick turnarounds, and efficient operations.
She placed strong emphasis on recognizing contributions through personal gestures, such as handwritten thank-you notes, to acknowledge achievements and life events, reinforcing a culture of appreciation and motivation. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)
Height, Weight & Body Measurements
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Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in United States. Leading by example was another core principle, with Barrett modeling humility and accessibility to inspire trust and collaboration among her teams.[33][34]Barrett's approach was influenced by mentors like Southwest Airlines co-founder Herb Kelleher, who championed the idea that "your people come first," and leadership author Ken Blanchard, with whom she co-authored Lead with LUV: A Different Way to Create Real Success in 2010, drawing on his insights into love as a practical leadership tool.
In 2010, she co-authored the bookLead with LUV: A Different Way to Create Real Success with management expert Ken Blanchard, drawing on her experiences at Southwest to outline a philosophy of leading with love, respect, and kindness to achieve organizational and personal success.[26][27]Barrett also dedicated time to mentorship, guiding emerging leaders at Southwest and beyond by sharing insights on building high-performing teams through empathy and integrity.[26] She participated in industry speaking engagements, where she promoted her mantra that Southwest was fundamentally in the customer service business, with flying as a secondary aspect, inspiring audiences on the power of positive corporate culture.[26] These activities continued until her health began to decline, after which her influence persisted through the enduring structures she had helped establish at the airline.[9]
Personal Life
Marriage and Family
Colleen Barrett married Allen J.Barrett in 1965, shortly after completing her associate degree, while he was serving in the military.[1] The couple welcomed their son, Patrick, in 1967, with Barrett giving birth while her husband was stationed overseas; Patrick was four months old when the family relocated to San Antonio, Texas.[3] Their marriage ended in divorce in 1972, leaving Barrett as Patrick's primary caregiver.[1][28]As a single mother, Barrett balanced raising Patrick with the demands of her burgeoning career at Southwest Airlines, often working long hours from early morning until evening while prioritizing family milestones, such as attending the births of close colleagues' children.[1] She maintained a strict but flexible parenting style that fostered a close bond with her son.[1] Patrick grew up to marry Melodie Bateman Barrett, and the couple had a son, Evan Daniel Barrett, whom Barrett cherished as her grandson and a source of great pride.[29] Barrett never remarried, focusing instead on her family and professional responsibilities.[30]Barrett's family support system played a crucial role in her life, especially following her father's suicide in 1973, which compounded the difficulties of her recent divorce.[3] Her mother, who had instilled values of hard work and generosity during Barrett's upbringing in Vermont, urged her to return to New England for stability, but Barrett chose to remain in Texas to build her career while raising Patrick.[3] This maternal influence provided emotional resilience, helping Barrett navigate her private family life with an emphasis on strong, enduring bonds despite her demanding schedule.[3]
Health Challenges and Faith
Barrett experienced lifelong vision impairment, including severe problems with depth perception and peripheral vision that prevented her from driving.[3][1]During her presidency at Southwest Airlines in the early 2000s, Colleen Barrett was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent successful treatment involving surgery and radiation therapy, complicated by a staph infection.[31][32] She managed the two-year course of treatments and follow-up tests by scheduling them meticulously, missing only about three days of work in total, which underscored her determination to maintain her professional responsibilities amid personal health challenges.[31]Barrett was a devout Catholic, raised as a "good little Irish Catholic girl" who attended Catholic school through eighth grade, where her faith provided refuge and shaped her core values of generosity and hard work.[3] Her Christian beliefs served as a source of resilience, informing a servant leadership style that emphasized treating others with kindness and respect, as guided by the Golden Rule from John 13:1–20.[19]This faith profoundly influenced her decision-making, prompting ethical business choices such as prioritizing employee welfare over short-term profits, including avoiding layoffs during crises like post-9/11 recovery by renegotiating contracts and running hopeful advertisements.[19] It also extended to community involvement through a commitment to "giving back," reflecting her upbringing's emphasis on service.[3]Following her recovery, Barrett publicly stressed the importance of work-life balance, advocating for a "Fun-LUVing Attitude" that encouraged enjoying both professional and personal spheres equally, while expressing gratitude for the support that enabled her continued contributions.[33][31]Leadership Philosophy
Servant Leadership Approach
Colleen Barrett adopted the servant leadership model, which emphasizes serving others first and prioritizing the growth and well-being of employees over traditional hierarchical authority.In 2011, she was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame, celebrating her impact on Texas business through decades of service that transformed Southwest into a model of profitability and employee satisfaction.Barrett's contributions to aviation were further recognized in 2016 with the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy from the National Aeronautic Association, awarded for her nearly 50 years of dedication to the industry, particularly her leadership in operational excellence and cultural innovation during her tenure as president of Southwest Airlines.
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Colleen Barrett
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Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Colleen Barrett. Her education equipped her with essential practical skills for the field, including proficient typing, shorthand transcription, and office administration procedures, which were central to the secretarial curriculum of the era and positioned her for entry-level roles in law firms.[3][1]In recognition of her alma mater's influence on her professional path, Barrett made a significant philanthropic contribution later in life.