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A Conversation With Retiring “The Blues Foundation” President
Barbara Newman

Author’s note: I hope this finds everyone well and surviving the
Coronavirus pandemic. My love goes out to you all ….

In 2015 The Blues Foundation hit the jackpot when they landed
Barbara Newman as their CEO and President!

Ms. Newman is a fourth-generation Memphian with a background
in non-profit administration and finance as well as in for-profit
management. She began non-profit work serving on a School
Board of Directors, first as Treasurer, then Vice-President of both
Administration
and Fundraising, and then
as President! Next she served as
Executive Director of Beth
Sholom Synagogue, where her
responsibilities included financial
administration, communications,
human resources, and facility
management. She has also been
an active leader engaged with
Board development, fundraising,

and strategic planning for Planned
Parenthood, Greater Memphis
Region. And if those
qualifications weren’t enough,
she also worked in the for-profit
sector, serving nine years as
financial manager of a restaurant
and catering business! To top off
all that, she and her husband,
Memphis entertainment attorney Barbara Newman
and CPA Bruce Newman have
co-produced multiple fundraising
concerts for a variety of
organizations. Wow! Just, WOW!!! It’s no wonder The Blues Foundation has flourished under her
guidance.
B

As I write this column the world is in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic. And … Barbara
Newman has just announced that she will retire from her position at The Blues Foundation effective
October 1, 2020. I took this interview opportunity to reflect on her tenure at The Blues Foundation
and what the future has in store. This is what she told me …….

LL: How about a little introduction to start us off! Could you talk about where you grew up,
what kind of music was in your home, and how you came to the Blues, please?

BN: I was born and raised in Memphis, TN – the home of the blues. My grandfather’s identical twin
brother was a violinist with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, so there was a lot of classical music