Kenneth Barr – BCC Principal
Kenneth Barr – Kenneth Barr has been actively involved in the business and civic life of Fort Worth and North Texas for his entire adult life. He joined his father in the family’s commercial printing company, first working in the afternoons and summers while still in high school by delivering to the company’s customers. He learned early on, that the last contact a customer had with its print supplier was the person who delivered the product. And that job had to be done with care – it was part of keeping happy customers. He became President and CEO of the company in 1975 and served in that capacity until the business was sold in 2005.
Over the next couple of decades, Kenneth served on the boards of a number of community and non-profit organizations. He had the privilege of serving as a board member and as chairman of the executive committee of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (now Trinity Metro). His involvement at FWTA sparked Kenneth’s long-term interest in transit and public transportation.
After a couple of decades of serving on community boards, Kenneth ran for and was elected as a member of the Fort Worth City Council, succeeding his long-time friend, David Chappell, as the city’s District 9 council representative. As a councilmember, he chaired the Council’s Economic Development Committee. Three years into his Council service, and following the resignation of the then-current mayor, Kenneth was elected Mayor of Fort Worth. In all, he was elected mayor four times and served in that capacity from 1996 until retiring from office in 2003.
As an elected city official, Kenneth served as: Director of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, President of the Texas Municipal League, Advisory Board Member, U.S. Conference of Mayors; and Chairman of the USCM Transportation and Communications Committee, Board Member, National League of Cities; and Chairman of the NLC Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Member of the North Texas Regional Transportation Council (MPO).
In 2008, Kenneth was appointed by Commissioners Court to represent Tarrant County on the board of directors of the North Texas Tollway Authority. NTTA operates multiple major toll projects primarily across the four larger urban counties in the North Texas region and services more than $9 billion in bonded indebtedness. In 2011 he was elected by his fellow board members to serve as NTTA’s Chairman, a role he held until resigning in 2019. While on the NTTA board, he played a major role in the development, financing, and construction of the Chisholm Trail Parkway and the 360 Tollway, both located primarily in Tarrant County.
Much like David, Kenneth has long had an interest in education. In May of 2019, Kenneth ran for and was elected to serve as a Trustee of the Tarrant County College District (TCC). TCC has been recognized as being among the top 50 community colleges in the nation and has approximately 100,000 students each year on its six campuses. He also serves as a member of the board of the TCC Foundation.
Additionally, Kenneth currently chairs the board of the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth; is a member of the Executive Committee of the Van Cliburn Foundation; and serves on the board of Medical City Fort Worth Hospital. He is a past chairman of the North Texas Commission and Fort Worth Sister Cities International; he has served as president of the Exchange Club of Fort Worth and the Rotary Club of Fort Worth.
Born in Fort Worth, Kenneth attended Fort Worth public schools, earned a business degree from Texas Christian University, and studied economics in graduate school at TCU.
Kenneth's father, Willard Barr, served as mayor of Fort Worth from 1965 to 1967, making the two of them the only father and son to have served Fort Worth as mayor.
Kenneth Barr – BCC Principal
Kenneth Barr has been actively involved in the business and civic life of Fort Worth and North Texas for his entire adult life. He joined his father in the family’s commercial printing company, first working in the afternoons and summers while still in high school by delivering to the company’s customers. He learned early on, that the last contact a customer had with its print supplier was the person who delivered the product. And that job had to be done with care – it was part of keeping happy customers. He became President and CEO of the company in 1975 and served in that capacity until the business was sold in 2005.
Over the next couple of decades, Kenneth served on the boards of a number of community and non-profit organizations. He had the privilege of serving as a board member and as chairman of the executive committee of the Fort Worth Transportation Authority (now Trinity Metro). His involvement at FWTA sparked Kenneth’s long-term interest in transit and public transportation.
After a couple of decades of serving on community boards, Kenneth ran for and was elected as a member of the Fort Worth City Council, succeeding his long-time friend, David Chappell, as the city’s District 9 council representative. As a councilmember, he chaired the Council’s Economic Development Committee. Three years into his Council service, and following the resignation of the then-current mayor, Kenneth was elected Mayor of Fort Worth. In all, he was elected mayor four times and served in that capacity from 1996 until retiring from office in 2003.
As an elected city official, Kenneth served as: Director of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, President of the Texas Municipal League, Advisory Board Member, U.S. Conference of Mayors; and Chairman of the USCM Transportation and Communications Committee, Board Member, National League of Cities; and Chairman of the NLC Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Member of the North Texas Regional Transportation Council (MPO).
In 2008, Kenneth was appointed by Commissioners Court to represent Tarrant County on the board of directors of the North Texas Tollway Authority. NTTA operates multiple major toll projects primarily across the four larger urban counties in the North Texas region and services more than $9 billion in bonded indebtedness. In 2011 he was elected by his fellow board members to serve as NTTA’s Chairman, a role he held until resigning in 2019. While on the NTTA board, he played a major role in the development, financing, and construction of the Chisholm Trail Parkway and the 360 Tollway, both located primarily in Tarrant County.
Much like David, Kenneth has long had an interest in education. In May of 2019, Kenneth ran for and was elected to serve as a Trustee of the Tarrant County College District (TCC). TCC has been recognized as being among the top 50 community colleges in the nation and has approximately 100,000 students each year on its six campuses. He also serves as a member of the board of the TCC Foundation.
Additionally, Kenneth currently chairs the board of the Real Estate Council of Greater Fort Worth; is a member of the Executive Committee of the Van Cliburn Foundation; and serves on the board of Medical City Fort Worth Hospital. He is a past chairman of the North Texas Commission and Fort Worth Sister Cities International; he has served as president of the Exchange Club of Fort Worth and the Rotary Club of Fort Worth.
Born in Fort Worth, Kenneth attended Fort Worth public schools, earned a business degree from Texas Christian University, and studied economics in graduate school at TCU.
Kenneth's father, Willard Barr, served as mayor of Fort Worth from 1965 to 1967, making the two of them the only father and son to have served Fort Worth as mayor.