biography
Barbara Danforth is Senior Vice President of Leadership Initiatives and brings more than 20 years of executive and civic leadership experience to the firm. Her commitment to gender equality and leadership excellence fueled the creation of a prestigious women's leadership academy geared towards career advancement.
With a keen interest in talent development, Barbara aligns the human resources needs of business clients to the firm's talent management practices, and creates strategies to retain top talent. Additionally, she manages retained executive search assignments for private sector and non-profit clients.
She has refined the firm's Executive Search Diversity Initiative to meet client needs for immediate or opportunistic hiring at the leadership level for women and minorities. She presents professional development seminars, as well as coaching for executives, emerging leaders and retirement life planning.
Prior to joining Ratliff & Taylor, Barbara was the President and CEO of the YWCA of Greater Cleveland, where she transformed a fragile agency into a vibrant organization that continues to serve women at all stages of their lives.
Her career endeavors include the private and public sector practice of law as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Iowa and Chief Prosecutor for the City of Cleveland. She has held management positions in the insurance industry, specializing in medical malpractice.
Barbara holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern Michigan University. Her civic commitments include board positions with the City Club of Cleveland and In Counsel with Women. She is sought for her expertise in the area of diversity and inclusion, and lectures nationally and internationally on leadership.
Barbara has been recognized for her accomplishments throughout her career, most recently in 2012 as the recipient of the YWCA Lifetime Achievement Award; in 2008 recognized as "The Influentials -50 People Changing Northeast Ohio" by Cleveland Magazine and one of three "Women Who Give Back" by Kaleidoscope Magazine; in 2006 "Master Innovator" by Smart Business Magazine and "One of the 100 Most Powerful People" by Inside Business Magazine.