Kelle Barfield
- Across the state, there are people who quietly, diligently, and passionately work to protect, preserve, and raise the cultural aspects that define a community. The artists, the planners, the policymakers, and the patrons are the culture-bearers we will be celebrating over the next few months. Vicksburg is fortunate to have such a person in Kelle Barfield.
Kelle Barfield is a Vicksburg resident who is passionate about her city, especially the river city’s culture.
“Culture is like beauty. Marvelous to behold but difficult to describe,” she says. “And quite subjective in terms of contributing or deterring added value. As president of the Mississippi Main Street Association board of directors, I have toured the culture of towns large and small across our state, enjoying the nuanced character (and characters) of the various regions.”
Barfield explains that Vicksburg is a port town, which imports a particular cultural thread.
“Her art and architecture, cuisine, and creative outputs stem from the many ethnic backgrounds that landed here over several centuries. She was pivotal in the U.S. Civil War more than 150 years ago and still carries the lessons and historic markers of those battles. Thanks to the river, Vicksburg is an engineering research mecca, with firsts and bests that space doesn’t allow me to enumerate. Vicksburg’s culture teeters on the seesaw of past and future.”
Barfield is a Vicksburg native. Her father moved the family to Vicksburg for his career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when she was an infant.
“I grew up in Vicksburg and graduated from Warren Central High School. I left for college at the University of Texas, then after working in publishing (romance novels) in New York City, I visited home and met my husband at a wedding reception at the Vicksburg Hotel. With a bachelor’s degree in magazine journalism, I knew I could freelance from anywhere in the world, so 40 years ago, I moved back to Vicksburg, and we reared our three children here.”
In an interesting pivot, Kelle began a career in nuclear communications in 1986. Her husband, an engineer who had helped design and build Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, saw a job opening in editing operations and maintenance procedures.
“I retired from Entergy in 2018 but have played a similar role supporting programs at the U.S. Department of State and the International Atomic Energy Agency for almost 20 years, where I continue to coach and write guidance documents for countries considering nuclear energy’s potential for meeting their electricity needs. My master’s degree in communications and management from Syracuse University, an executive Master of Science in cities from the London School of Economics & Political Science, and a doctorate in education from the University of Southern California have helped me practice academic theories in real settings around the world.”
Since she retired from Entergy, Barfield has had an opportunity to focus more on Vicksburg’s vitality. When the owner of Vicksburg’s local bookstore, Lorelei Books, was moving out of state, Barfield couldn’t imagine a town without a bookstore, so she bought it. That purchase led to her foray into the preservation of half a dozen 1800s buildings in downtown Vicksburg.
She was then encouraged by locals to apply her corporate experience to county government.
“I have served on the Warren County Board of Supervisors since 2000. The Economic Development Foundation, United Way, Warren County Forestry Association, and Army Navy Club are among the many areas where I contribute spare minutes. But public education in Warren County is one of the most transformational efforts I have been privileged to take part in.”
Inspired by innovation and informed by best practices elsewhere in the U.S., the Vicksburg Warren School District has pursued many avenues for increasing graduation rates, improving reading and math proficiency, and leading young citizens to be leaders themselves. As co-chair of the steering committee that transitioned our high schools into a college and career academy model, Barfield continues to delight in the success of individual students and the school district overall.
“Having served eight years on the Mississippi Commission on School Accreditation, I know that metrics, while important, don’t tell the full story of student readiness for adulthood. We all own the results of our public education system, and I believe every resident should contribute to or attend at least one school effort annually, investing in our town’s future with a wee bit of their time. The dividends are remarkable.”
As with public education, business development requires a constant balance between the past and future seesaw.
“The most prominent challenge I see in Vicksburg’s culture is the tension between status quo and change. Rising costs and expectations of county services demand creative enthusiasm in growing our economy with new and expanding businesses. Some folks like things just the way they were and don’t like the muss and dust of construction. But new roads and buildings can’t appear without that pain. Understanding how a town withers without evolution and having patience with the process helps Vicksburg take its place not just in history but in tomorrow’s world as a leading center of commerce with a vibrant quality of life.”
Barfield relishes both Vicksburg’s rich past and its promising potential.
“I love brainstorming with friends over ‘what ifs’ and ‘how abouts.’ But I’m happiest when I see creative members of our community bring those thought clouds into action on the ground. As Vicksburg enters its 201st year, I hope its culture will embrace a spirit of innovation and inspiration.”
