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Barbi Jones on Community, Collaboration, and Leadership

By Avalin Inman

Barbi Jones knows Cabarrus County. As the Executive Director of The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus, she’s been one of the strongest voices championing the region’s businesses, nonprofits, and community leaders. But her connection to this community began long before her role at the Chamber—it started when she and her husband chose to make Cabarrus County their home more than two decades ago.

“When my husband was transferred to Charlotte in 1997, we were trying to decide between living in Charlotte or a surrounding county,” she explains. “We had a great Realtor that showed us homes in several locations, but the friendliness, schools, abundant churches, and quality of life amenities sold us on Cabarrus County.”

As a stay-at-home mom during her children’s early years, Barbi explored the community deeply. “I was able to take advantage of a great library and parks, as well as volunteer at agencies that showed me the heart of Cabarrus County.”

The Strength of a Collaborative Culture

Those early experiences left an impression. By 2008, after reentering the workforce, she joined Leadership Cabarrus, The Chamber’s signature civic leadership and professional development program. “Leadership Cabarrus showed me a deeper side of this community and cemented my desire to get more involved,” she says.

Since then, her connection to Cabarrus County has only deepened. She takes pride in the distinct identities of each of the county’s five municipalities. “All five municipalities have very rich histories that have developed into unique personalities, so while we are a great county, we are greater because of our parts,” she says. “I am proud of the way this community addresses needs and works together to do so.”

Barbi is especially grateful for the collaborative spirit she sees across sectors. “Our nonprofit community collaborates well so there’s not a redundancy of specific efforts, yet a desire to make sure everyone is seen. Our businesses support through investments in time and resources. Our government leaders and staff work through advisory committees and task forces to convene short-term and long-term solutions. It’s very different in other counties.”

That spirit of collaboration is also what excites her most about the work of the Greater Cabarrus Foundation (GCF).

“As a businessperson, you get a barrage of requests for funding, volunteer opportunities, and donations,” she says. “Every person would love to be able to meet all the needs, but the simple fact is, you can’t. Businesses these days are challenged to do more with less.”

The Power of a Purpose-Driven Foundation

Barbi sees the Greater Cabarrus Foundation as a valuable partner for individuals and organizations who want to make meaningful, strategic contributions. “What the Greater Cabarrus Foundation is doing is assessing need, finding ways for individuals, families, and businesses to invest in strategies to move the needle on our various local needs.”

She believes GCF is filling critical gaps for nonprofits, especially those in need of operational guidance. “Many nonprofits have the mission and vision side covered—and they do fantastic work—but sometimes they may not have the business background to strategically fund immediate and long-term need. GCF can work with them to develop those plans, making them more efficient, resulting in better outcomes.”

She’s also enthusiastic about GCF’s support for board development. “By offering board training and placement, GCF can take passionate volunteers and give them the skills to help that agency grow and achieve more. They are simply filling gaps that Cabarrus County has had for a long time to help our community grow and thrive for the present and the future.”

Cultivating Civic Leaders

As the director of The Chamber, Barbi also sees a natural connection between the Chamber’s efforts and GCF’s work. One example is Leadership Cabarrus, which has been a signature Chamber program since 1998 with over 750 alumni. “Our goal is to encourage the class to learn about the value, opportunities, and challenges within our community and to help identify areas they are passionate about and want to help,” she says. “We hope that as they complete the program, they are more aware of ways to get engaged, whether it’s through advocacy, volunteerism, or even serving as an elected official.”

Often, Leadership Cabarrus alumni say they gained contacts, connections, and context through the program. As a part of the Leadership Cabarrus program, the class members work together each year on a legacy project that addresses a specific current community need. The Class of 2026 partnered with Cooperative Christian Ministry to add hardscape and landscape elements to The Rebuilders Campus that included building a 200-foot retaining wall, fencing around HVAC elements and lots of plantings. The class collectively worked over 350 hours to complete the project. Since 1998, classes have contributed programmatic elements for nonprofits, built structures for community use, designed marketing campaigns for community education around pressing issues and advocated for needs with local, state and federal elected leaders.

As Cabarrus County continues to grow, Barbi sees both opportunity and responsibility. “Cabarrus County, for better or worse, is going to continue to grow simply because of the prime location to Charlotte, its airport and ours, our proximity to highways and rail, and the fantastic quality of life we have here.”

She views this growth as a tremendous opportunity for businesses, but also a moment of reflection for the community. “The challenge is as we grow, we need to make sure we bring all along with us. For those who have been here their entire lives, they need to be heard, seen, and respected. For those new to the area, let’s make sure they know how to get connected and engaged here—and not just Charlotte.”

Through her leadership at The Chamber and her support of the Greater Cabarrus Foundation, Barbi Jones continues to advocate for the kind of thoughtful growth and community collaboration that make Cabarrus County a special place to live, work, and thrive.

For more information about The Chamber, Leading Business in Cabarrus, visit cabarrus.biz.

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