Carol Barman: a legacy of building and selflessness

IC photo/Laura Vallejo

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Rosemary Bennett, who has been the Saint Vincent de Paul School advancement director for the past 17 years, chats with a member of the school community during the May 22 retirement party.

SALT LAKE CITY — Carol Barman has been the development director at Saint Vincent de Paul School for the past 17 years, but her journey there began a few years before: 24 years ago her oldest daughter started kindergarten at the school.

“This has been my community,” Barman said. “A lot of our families are friends today. I love Catholic education. Saint Vincent’s has been a great place to work for. I worked for Mark Longe forever, and now I work for Gary Green. They are both excellent leaders.”

Longe, who is now superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools, hired Barman when he was principal of St. Vincent de Paul School. He recalls that she had just been chairperson of a very successful auction, and “her husband, Tom, approached me and said, ‘You know, Mark, you just have to hire my wife. She would be great for the school.’ My response was, ‘You are right,’ so she became the part-time advancement director.”

Longe was proud to tell others that Barman was more efficient than a full-time advancement director, he said.

“We paid this building off with one of the successful auctions of the school. If you look around at all the physical areas – that was Carol undertaking the task and developing the program to achieve all that has been done,” said Longe at the retirement party celebrated May 22 at the St. Vincent de Paul Parish’s Benvegnu Family Center.

Longe went on to say that Saint Vincent’s is one of the few Catholic schools with an endowment of more than $1 million, “and that’s due in part to Carol.”

“The list can go on and on. … As you know, she is very tenacious. ... Every year she came to me and asked me, ‘Here are my goals. What are your goals? What are we doing? When are we doing it? What do we need, Mark?’ ... This community has been blessed by the Barman family,” Longe said.

Barman said that one of her fondest memories at the school was seeing how parents stepped up and volunteered.

“I couldn’t have done my job without their help,” she said as she remembered how much she has enjoyed seeing all the changes that have occurred at the school.

“I really enjoyed seeing all the things that happened through Saint Vincent’s – the pavilion, the prayer garden, all of those things. It has been fun to see all those areas grow. I have been very blessed to be able to help families, too,” Barman said.

At the dinner, Therese Clay, who is taking Barman’s place as the school’s development director, thanked her predecessor for her service, and said, “You are such a blessing to this community.”

“I really admire her because of her selflessness,” said Green, who also shared one thing that people may not know about Barman.

“She takes care of lots of refugee families, too. Over the years the stories that I have heard of all the things that she has done for those families. ... She is very inspirational. Carol doesn’t ever settle; she goes and helps and achieves. She is a wonderful person,” said Green, adding that Barman is leaving “very strong. After 17 years she still finished everything that she does and she always gives 100 percent. She is a wonderful, wonderful lady.”

Longe agreed with Green about how much Barman has done for everyone that she has met.

“Carol, thank you for your commitment, and I thank you, as the former principal, for waking up this school; and as the superintendent I thank you for what you have done for the system, because you have helped other people to understand. Thank you and enjoy your retirement,” Longe said.