Once in a great while, we are blessed with the opportunity to meet a leader who is truly everything they purport to be. Someone who can with one question change the direction of an otherwise unproductive meeting and redirect strategic focus. Someone whose word is rock solid no matter how strong the political winds are blowing or how sensitive the community issue may be…

Our community is a better place as a result of his influence. His character and experience will be invaluable to whatever organization is fortunate enough to recruit this remarkable leader.

Dear Rita:

Thank you for your many efforts in implementing the World Championship Wrestling – Capital One alliance. Your commitment helped to prove Capital One truly is the Partner of Choice. Long before the successful October 1st launch at the New York Stock Exchange that brought the WCW/Capital One MasterCard to the attention of more than 32 million wrestling fans, you dedicated countless hours, creativity and talent to make this one of our most successful alliance programs.

Bill sees opportunity. He builds teams of professionals that can work with him to develop and implement strategic plans to capitalize on those opportunities with efficacy and profitability. If there are gaps to the plan along the way, he is intuitive and nimble enough to pivot those plans while maintaining team momentum toward the desired outcome.

As a member of his team, you feel accountable out of respect, not demand. You feel accomplished by the implementation of a sound plan built with your team at his request and rewarded based on success. That type of leadership is a rare gift I wish all executives could experience in their professional lives.

Bill is the most influential leader I have ever worked for or with. He cares deeply for his teammates. His charisma and stellar character are widely admired. Bill works tirelessly to better the organization, instilling rigor, while leaving ample room for creativity and idea generation. Companies and communities are better when Bill Barker is on the team or at the helm.

Bill Barker is not an executive, he’s a force of nature.

I have never worked with any manager who more closely typifies the “servant leader” approach. Bill understands that an organization is only as powerful as the people who collectively form it, so his focus is always to empower his folks, playing to their strengths while shoring up their weaknesses. He’s a guiding North Star throughout.

Somehow, Bill balances this with the traditional role of a statewide leader, interacting with Fortune 500 business leaders, state senators, state representatives, governors, lobbyists and other top-flight positions as easily as he converses with rank-and-file mailroom people. It is a rare gift and it returned enormous dividends for the Gannett organization in Florida. ‘Beloved’ doesn’t even begin to describe the relationship Bill held within the organization and without, at all levels of business and government.

Bill has a highly sophisticated business mind, coupled with a relaxed and personable style, which is incredibly engaging and results in high levels of cooperation, collaboration, and teamwork. This ultimately leads to success on all levels and helps produce what Bill (and I) are always looking to advance, a systems-approach that maximizes collective impact.

Bill Barker is a well-known leader with a proven record of success.

Rita Barker is one of the most creative folks I know. Together, this dynamic duo created a powerhouse agency called Barker Strategic Solutions. Florida Press Association was the first to partner with BSS to provide transformative thought leadership, meaningful mentorship, insightful strategic solutions and a collaborative commitment to building a bigger, brighter future for FPA and its members. I highly recommend BSS as a partner to help lead your company to success.

Bill’s leadership was critical at a time when there was a community-wide effort to collaborate and work towards common aspirations for education and economic development…

Bill’s sense of humor and his ability to speak to the values and aspirations that a community holds near and dear make him a strong candidate for a position where he can make great impact and lead others to accomplish challenging goals.

Bill has led a storied career in the news industry, most recently serving as the regional president of Gannett in Florida as well as the president and publisher of the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. In addition to his extensive publishing experience, Bill carries a deep passion and expertise on the importance of public notice…

The whole team is thrilled to work closely with Bill and learn from his expertise and insights.

I’ve worked with Rita for approximately two years at Capital One, and I’ve found few writers with as much intuition and talent.

Time and again, she’s astounded me by her ability to take a complex, unfriendly message and make it consumer-centric. And her positive, can-do attitude is much appreciated in the busy, deadline-driven environment in which we function.

I am writing to let you know what a valued asset Rita Barker is or would be to any creative team. We have worked together for five years on a variety of projects with Capital One. When I am in need of a copywriter, Rita is my first choice.

Rita is able to execute projects very efficiently and effectively, but what sets her apart from others is her ability to consistently take her work and her influence on projects to the next level. She asks thought-provoking questions that are insightful and ultimately enhance the overall outcome of a project. I would recommend Rita Barker to anyone in need of a copywriter.

Bill Barker is a builder of teams. He’s a leader who puts others first. His joy comes from investing his time and talents in lifting colleagues to reach goals and dreams they did not even know they were capable of.

Rita has worked as a copywriter for Capital One since 1996. For the last few years, she has worked for me writing copy for the Lifestyles line of business. This segment of customers is very targeted and requires copy that is specific to the audience. Rita has done a superior job delivering copy that is always on the mark. A number of our creative packages have shown significant lift because of her program positioning and targeted copy. She is an invaluable resource to all lines of business because of her in-depth knowledge of the Capital One credit product and her ability to understand and simplify complex subjects. Rita is easy to work with while creative and fresh in her approach to each new project. She makes innovative contributions to brainstorming and ideation sessions while delivering in a timely manner and often under tight deadlines. I highly recommend Rita as an experienced, professional writer that will add value to any project.

Rita Barker has worked as a freelance copywriter for Capital One since 1996. She has added a tremendous amount of value in that capacity with her talent, insight and flexibility. It has been a pleasure working with her because not only is she one of the best copywriters I’ve ever worked with, but she is one of the quickest and nicest, too. It is amazing the amount and quality of work she can turnaround in a short timeframe and with such enthusiasm.

One of the reasons I have enjoyed and valued working with Rita is the insight she brings from the customer perspective. Rita asks the critical questions to ensure that we don’t overlook an important element and constantly looks at things from the customer perspective. As a result, our copy is stronger and more focused because of her insight. She brings this talent to a wide variety of communications including acquisition pieces, welcome kits, customer letters, customer statement messages, brochures, posters, etc. Talented people come and go in an advertising or agency environment, but Rita is one of those people you can never really replace.

Bill is the consummate leader as he is a visionary that others desire to follow. His influence within our community runs deep as he is trusted, inclusive and transparent. He follows through on commitments and delivers on promises. It is understood if you want to achieve success, you should include Bill Barker.