Celebrating Black History Month – meet Bobby Watkins, Vice President Government Services

As we wrap up a month of celebrating and recognizing the importance of promoting diverse perspectives within the business for Black History Month, we have one final chat with an employee and leader within Barrios about culture and diversity.

Meet Bobby Watkins, Vice President – Government Services, who is based in Huntsville, AL and supports the community through his support and involvement with his fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha and his local church.

Bobby believes that Black History Month gives us an opportunity to reflect on the impact that the African American community has had on our country. Oftentimes, these contributions aren’t fully recognized due to history being rewritten to exclude these achievements. He believes that it is vitally important to recognize and appreciate diversity as it is what strengthen communities.

He says that the traits of commitment, excellence, and treating people of all backgrounds fairly, which he embraces and practices daily, were taught to him by his parents, who are his biggest inspiration. “As owners of a family-run grocery store with five kids to raise, I learned a lot about working with people (of all backgrounds), the importance of not giving up, and being committed and dedicated to what you are doing.

“As I grew older, I became a huge fan of General Colin Powell. His leadership style and command of details really influenced me. My favorite General Powell quote to this day is, “The day the soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help them or concluded that you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”

He goes on to say that growing up as a kid in a family-owned business makes him appreciate the values of a small women-owned business such as Barrios, which strongly resonate with him. “This is what continues to motivate me. I spent 30+ years working for NASA, retired (took a weekend off) and began my career at Barrios where I was warmly received.

“The commitment to my success has been overwhelming from day one and I have always felt that my input is welcomed and encouraged within the Barrios culture. Part of my drive and motivation is to make sure we find that next level of leadership from our African American community to continue to foster this diversity.”