Barbara Hagler to Become 2023-2024 President

Dr. Barbara Hagler has been unanimously elected by the NBEA Executive Board has the association's next President starting July 1, 2023.  Dr. Hagler has been a member of NBEA since she was an undergraduate student at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. She received her M.S. from Southern Illinois University and a Ph.D. from Arizona State University. Most of her career was spent at Southern Illinois University, where she retired as a Professor, and had also served as Interim Chair, Director of Graduate Programs, and Undergraduate Career and Technical Education Coordinator. She also taught at Southeast Missouri State University before starting at Southern Illinois University.

Dr. Hagler has been active in Southern Illinois Business Education Association, Illinois Business Education Association, Illinois Association for Career and Technical Education, Delta Pi Epsilon, Omicron Tau Theta, and National Business Education Association. She has presented at many conferences, published articles in journals, and served in leadership positions in these organizations.
She was raised on a farm in southern Illinois and credits her parents for instilling in her the value of hard work. She also believes that her church and 4-H activities helped prepare her for life. She is married to Lou and is the proud mother of two children (Louis and Cheryl) and proud grandmother of five (Elliott, Hannah, Zachary, Austin, and Nathan).

Dr. Hagler received the National John Robert Gregg Award in 2019, the NBEA Collegiate Teacher of the Year in 2015, the Anthony G. Porreca Award for Outstanding Service to Omicron Tau Theta in 2014, as well as other awards. She served as co-editor of an NBEA Yearbook and was editor of a textbook for workforce education. She has also authored chapters in NBEA Yearbooks and other books.
She has sponsored a chapter of Pi Omega Pi and Omicron Tau Theta, as well as co-sponsored the Southern Illinois Business Education Association. Her service also includes NBEA Director for CBTR/ARBE, JRBE Editor, Chair of Editorial Board for the Journal of Career and Technical Education, as well as other positions for ARBE and NABTE. In addition, she served as Chair for the Policies Commission for Business and Economic Education and was Trustee and Secretary for the University Council for Workforce and Human Resource Education.

She has also received several grants, chaired over 100 master’s research theses or papers, and chaired 14 doctoral dissertations. She continues to work with Ph.D. students in her retirement. She and her husband owned two UPS Stores for several years. She also has been active in her church including teaching religious education, serving as Eucharistic minister, and serving as treasurer of the women’s council.

“One of the best decisions I ever made was to major in business education. I thank all of my business education teachers who led me to making that decision. I cannot imagine having done anything else that would have been more rewarding. I believed then and still believe that every person can benefit from business education. My business education skills and knowledge have served me well in and out of the classroom.”

“It is truly an honor to serve my profession as President Elect of NBEA!” Hagler will take the NBEA presidency July 1, 2023.