Barbara Litrell brings to her candidacy for Sedona City Council over 40 years of education, business, non-profit and community volunteer experience along with a track record of accomplishments in the community.

 She launched B. Litrell Communications Corp. in 2000 after a successful 28 year career in advertising sales and management with The New York Times Co., as publisher of national magazines including McCall’s, Working Woman and Working Mother, and as President of MacDonald Communications Corporation where she was responsible for the revenue of the operation including the magazines, a conference division, and the National Association of Female Executives. Her early career began as a French teacher for 7 years.

 After moving to Arizona in 2002, determined to play golf everyday, Litrell soon found involvement in the community irresistible. She worked in real estate until 2006. She then served for 3 years as President of Keep Sedona Beautiful, a 501C3 dedicated to preserving the wonder of Sedona. From January through November, 2009, she was  Executive Director of Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition, a 501C3 non-profit which provides volunteers to assist seniors and disabled adults with services that help them maintain their independence and quality of life at home. She resigned from that position to run for Sedona City Council.

 As a volunteer, Litrell has been active in important issues that impact our quality of life. She chaired the League of Women Voters Water Committee which, in 2003, launched the program of Water Awareness Month educational activities in the Verde Valley. She co-founded and served as first President of the North Central Arizona Regional Watershed Consortium uniting groups with common concerns about water issues. She organized a Spotlight on Seniors forum to identify the issues seniors are facing and to make available to them information about resources. She also organized 2 important substance abuse forums for families in Sedona– one on meth and the other on underage drinking.  

As a board member of the National Association of Women Business Owners, she launched the Annual Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards Program to spotlight women business owners in Sedona and the Verde Valley. On the Board of Keep Sedona Beautiful and as President, she helped develop important education and advocacy programs as well as represented the organization in its position in favor of real safety measures for SR89A and in opposition to continuous roadway lights on 89A. She also led education and advocacy programs in favor of a National Scenic Area designation.

For the past three years, Litrell organized and co-chaired Mitzvah (Good Deed) Day– the largest one day of volunteer service activities benefiting organizations and individuals throughout Sedona and the Verde Valley. Most recently she co-chaired the launch of the first Sedona Book Festival in October 2009 to benefit Verde Valley Caregivers Coalition and create a new, sustainable event for Sedona and Sedona businesses. 

Litrell has been honored with many awards for her community service including the Verde River Citizens Alliance Annual Civic Award for meritorious contributions to preserving water resources in the Verde Valley(2003); Good Morning Sedona Award for Inspirational Community Leadership (2004); Ruth K. Birkner Leadership Award (2005);  Sedona Community Foundation Spirit of Sedona Award-Volunteer of the Year (2007); Gardens for Humanity Visionary Leadership Award (2008); National Association of Women Business Owners Visionary Award (2009).

Litrell lives in Sedona with her husband, Michael, 2 cats named Lexus and Champ, and a 4-year old Yorkie named Maggie – and she still plans to play golf everyday…someday!