As a champion of environmental stewardship and thriving businesses, Kelly Barr has always believed in strengthening communities through sustainable actions. In her role as Associate Vice President and Chief Alliance Officer for the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory, she does just that, serving as the bridge between Arizona’s communities and the experts within the Global Futures Laboratory to weave new economic, environmental and social solutions in our state.
Kelly’s career has been deeply embedded in Arizona’s utility services, including 30 years at Salt River Project (SRP) where she served as the Chief Strategy, Corporate Services and Sustainability Executive. In this role, she developed an integrated systems approach that brought resource, transmission, distribution and customer programs experts together at the beginning of the utility planning process — a practice that ensured early and active communications between the groups and put sustainability at the forefront of all utility planning conversations. At SRP, Kelly also oversaw SRP’s Corporate Planning, Environmental Services, and Innovation; Corporate Strategy, Sustainability and Economic Services; Supply Chain, Transportation, Logistics & Warehousing, and Flight Services; Facilities and Mechanical Construction Maintenance Services; and Analytics and Information groups.
Kelly is highly respected throughout Arizona and the Southwest for her engagement with a variety of professional, technical and community boards. She is an active leader in energy, environmental and business groups, and currently serves in leadership roles for three community-based organizations. She is a board member of the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute, which advances American democracy through multigenerational civics education, civil discourse and civic engagement; Commissioner for the City of Phoenix’s Environmental Quality and Sustainability Commission which is committed to protecting and improving the city’s environmental quality; and immediate past Chair of Arizona Forward, which brings business and civic leaders together to promote cooperative efforts to improve the environmental sustainability and economic vitality of our state and local regions.
An advocate for women’s success and professional development, Kelly is a member of the International Women’s Forum, a group that advances women’s leadership and connects women of significant and diverse achievement. She is also a member of Charter 100, which provides a forum for leading women to enrich their lives through relationships and learning together.
Kelly has received several awards throughout her career, including Woman of the Year from the Arizona Capitol Times in 2022. In 2020, Kelly received the Leadership in Energy Efficiency Award for her leadership in developing and implementing SRP’s sustainability goals by the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project. In 2019, Kelly was a finalist for the S&P Global Platts Global Energy Awards, which recognizes business leaders/individuals that have influenced their industry throughout their career and who are focused on energy, chemicals, energy investment or policy. In 2017, she was recognized by AZ Business Magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in Arizona.