Title: State Delegate, Chairman, Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, President & CEO, Bi-County Business Roundtable
Industry: Public Service & Government
A: I’m an early riser, so I’m typically up by 5:00 AM. I believe how my morning begins determines what the rest of my day will be like. With that being said, I start with a devotional/inspirational reading, then exercise followed by a light breakfast. After that, I am in my home office reviewing emails that have come in overnight and respond accordingly and then I review my schedule for the day; most of my meetings begin around 8 AM.
A: As a businessman and consultant, I work to create and develop opportunities for businesses. So, most of what I do is about collaboration and building meaningful partnerships. My ultimate goal is to create a win-win situations for all parties involved. As a legislator and Chairman of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, I work for equity and inclusion to create opportunities to build a legacy of wealth for people of color in the great State of Maryland.
A: Recently, I’ve been concentrating on creating opportunities for my boys to play soccer at the collegiate level. So, most of what I read is related to recruiting, training, proper diet, researching ID camps, and narrowing down the schools they’ll apply to in a few years.
A: Over the past 18 months or so, I’ve built a lot of new relationships and sealed business deals from the comfort of my own home. This was certainly something I never believed to be possible before I was forced to do so. While I enjoy face-to-face interaction and believe it to be most effective, I don’t see myself returning to the fast pace of running from one meeting to another in the immediate future. Virtual meetings and the like are here to stay. The use of different technology has given me the ability to change how I conduct business as a business owner and legislator.
A: I’m a very task-oriented person, so remaining on task from start to finish is probably my favorite and most rewarding productivity habit. Along with that, I’d say creating and giving positive energy to the people I work with. Smiles and words of encouragement go a long way as words have power!
A: Teamwork and collaboration are skills young children are evaluated on in school. Somehow, as adults, we’ve gotten away from valuing the importance of those skills. When I am presented with new business opportunities or new ideas for legislation, I take the time to establish my role as a collaborator and team player. Once that’s done, things seem to fall in place very nicely.
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About Darryl Barnes:
The Honorable Darryl Barnes proudly represents the 25th Legislative District in the Maryland House of Delegates. Delegate Barnes was raised in the Washington Metropolitan Area and planted his roots in Prince George’s County, Maryland after years of service in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Army respectfully. Serving his second term in Annapolis, Delegate Barnes has been trusted by his colleagues and constituents to take on key leadership positions while advancing legislation spanning across the state and impacting significant policy decisions.
His tenacious work ethic has enabled him to quickly become one of the highest-ranking members in the House of Delegates serving as the Parliamentarian (2015-2016), Deputy Majority Whip (2017-Present), 1st Vice Chair of the Black Caucus (2016-2017), Assistant Speaker Pro Tem (2019), and 2nd Vice Chair of the Prince George’s County Delegation (2019-Present). Delegate Barnes is also a member of the Maryland Veterans Caucus and served on the Prince George’s County School Construction Master Plan Workgroup in 2018.
Since his appointment to the Ways & Means Committee in 2015, Delegate Barnes has closely examined legislation that impacts education, election law, taxation, lottery and gaming, and funding of transportation programs. In that capacity, Delegate Barnes also serves as the Chair of the Local Revenues Subcommittee where he oversees local and state taxation matters (2019-Present). His leadership in the Local Revenues Committee has led to tax credits and incentives for veterans, nonprofits, small businesses, and educators.
In the Maryland General Assembly, Delegate Barnes has emerged as a fearless leader and trailblazer for African- American issues. In his second term, Delegate Barnes was unanimously selected as the Chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus (2018-Present). As the Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, Delegate Barnes leads a membership of 59 legislators while championing issues affecting African-Americans across the state of Maryland such as Economic Development, Criminal Justice Reform, Healthcare, Law Enforcement, and Education. Under his direction, the Legislative Black Caucus’ unified support was pivotal in passing of the state’s $15 minimum wage, raising the tobacco consumption age to 21, reforming the Maryland’s Judiciary Case Search, and historic election of the first woman and African-American Speaker of the House.
Prior to his election, Delegate Barnes established himself as a successful businessman, community advocate, and veteran. With over 20 years of entrepreneurship experience in the Information Technology and Sports Agency space, Delegate Barnes coupled his passion for sports, business and desire to uplift youth by founding what is now one of the premier nonprofits in Prince George’s County. His grassroots organization, Men Aiming Higher (2009-present) mobilizes at-risk young men through educational tutoring, leadership training, mentoring programs and community service projects. To date, more than 700 mentees have benefited from the work of Men Aiming Higher.
Delegate Barnes launched the Bi-County Business Roundtable in 2019 to promote small business growth as well as help create wealth for a vibrant climate in the state of Maryland. He received his PMP Certification Training from George Washington University and attended Long Beach State College. Delegate Barnes resides in Prince George’s County with his wife, Makeba and their two sons Dylan & Drew and is also an active member of First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
