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Barbara B. Nixon, Ph.D. (ABD), is an Adjunct Professor of Public Relations at Auburn University and the author of the blog Public Relations Matters. Barbara retired from Core BTS in 2022 as their Director of Learning & Organizational Development. At Core, Barbara strategized, led and evaluated all things related to learning and OD, as well as leading their DE&I (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives.

Previous to starting at Core BTS, she was the Manager of Learning and Documentation at Shiloh Technologies. Upon starting with the company, Barbara developed and launched Shiloh U, the company's knowledge-on-demand platform, along with the knowledgebase in Shiloh's customer support portal. In 2014, she was presented with the Technical Leadership Exchange Most Innovative Idea Award for her development of Shiloh U. Prior to Shiloh, Barbara held leadership positions at three Fortune 500 companies and was a communication educator at several universities.

A Life Member in the International Listening Association, Barbara has served the association in numerous roles, including President, Secretary, Newsletter Editor and several committees. In addition, she was the inaugural Webmaster of the association, securing the domain name of listen.org well before anyone knew how important a clear domain name is.

A lifelong learner, she earned her Ph.D. (ABD) in Training and Performance Improvement from Capella University and her M.A. in Organizational Communication and B.A. in Public Relations both from Auburn University.

With her varied background in working in a multitude of settings, Barbara offers unique insight into many aspects of organizational life. In addition to being an educator, trainer and writer, Barbara has also been a chef for Club Med, a manual laborer for International Paper Company, a family support group leader for the United States Army and the ghostwriter of a popular NASCAR Twitter account.

Barbara and her husband Kevin are the parents of four adult children (Kyle, James, Sam and Kat), one black Labrador retriever (Ani) and one Staffordshire Terrier / Boxer / Lab mix puppy named Lily (often referred to as The Tiny Terror). You’ll often find Barbara listening to audiobooks – primarily post-apocalyptic novels or historical fiction – while walking on the trails near her home in the Birmingham area or doing something creative with her hands like embroidery, cross stitch or crochet.

“In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists” (Eric Hoffer).