Driven to help children and their families, as well as to help people find employment, Barbara A. Palmer has cultivated significant expertise in nonprofit management, leadership development, organization structure and grant writing. She embarked on her career as the head teller for the U.S. Department of Defense at the Pentagon from 1983 to 1986 before earning her Bachelor of Arts in bank finance from the American Institute of Banking in 1989. Subsequently, she served as the international accounts supervisor for Aircargo Communities, Inc. from 1989 to 1998. During this time, she obtained certification in small business management in 1996.
In 1998, Ms. Palmer joined the YWCA of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County as the director of programs, a position she would hold until 2012. While in this role, she furthered her studies at the Andersonville Theological Seminary, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in divinity in 2004 and a master’s degree in pastoral counseling, with honors, in 2006. She went on to join the Kingdom Celebration Center as a pastor in 2009, has been co-pastor since 2012 and also volunteers in various other roles. In 2011, Ms. Palmer founded Kingdom Kare Inc., a nonprofit organization that focuses on supporting children and families to feel empowered to pursue their dreams, which she cites as the highlight of her career.
Today, Ms. Palmer is active as the president and chief executive officer of Kingdom Kare Inc., where she oversees all aspects of management, operation, leadership and strategic planning; sets their long-term goals; and liaises with local government officials and community leaders. Throughout this work, she furthered her skills at Ashford University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with a minor in psychology in 2017. In addition, since 2021, she has been certified as a life and business coach through John Maxwell and operates Talking Business with Barbara, where she serves as business coach and executive director, providing consulting services for local nonprofit organizations.
Ms. Palmer attributes much of her success to her education and the mentorship she has received throughout years. She strongly believes that without her openness to learn and grow, she would not have reached the level of accomplishment she currently enjoys. Looking toward the future, she has plans to expand Kingdom Kare beyond the state of Maryland, with the ultimate goal being to offer mentoring and coaching services to nonprofit and grassroots organizations nationwide. Ms. Palmer also hopes to see the programs she has implemented be replicated by other groups across Maryland.
Alongside her primary career responsibilities, Ms. Palmer contributed her skills to a number of other professional and civic endeavors. She is involved with the Anne Arundel County Chambers of Commerce and the eWomen Network Group, and has been elected as a board member of the Early Childhood Coalition for Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Furthermore, she has published two books on religion, “No Regrets” with Kingdom Kaught Publishing in 2017 and “Trust Your Journey Prayer Journal” with Kingdom Publishing in 2021.
For excellence in her career, Ms. Palmer has been inducted into the Alpha Beta Kappa National Honor Society, the National Honor Society and Leading Ladies of Integrity. She was also recognized by Leadership Anne Arundel from 2005 to 2006, named Woman of the Year by the National Association of Professional Women in 2013 and presented with the Young Children’s Champion Award in 2016. In 2019, she was a finalist for the Indie Author Legacy Award and was the recipient of the Fannie Lou Hammer Award. Ms. Palmer went on to receive the Michelle Obama Executive Citation from Stuart Pittman and the Caucus of African American Leaders and the Shero Award for Business from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women in 2020 and was a Woman of Virtue honoree in 2021.
