Barbara Warfield brings extensive experience and deep personal dedication to the GDA Board. A nursing graduate from Job Corps in Los Angeles in 1973, she relocated to Seattle in 1975 and built a career at Pacific NW Bell before transitioning into accounting, ultimately earning her CPA certification and retiring from Money Tree in 2003.
Her connection to GDA is rooted in family legacy—her father, Emmett Cook, was a founding member who advocated for the organization’s mission with state officials in Olympia—and as a teen parent herself, Ms. Warfield joined the board in 1993 to continue that work. Among her many contributions, she helped establish apartments for the first unwed teen mothers, personally soliciting donations to furnish those spaces, and later championed the acquisition of the 22nd & Republic house, where GDA staff taught troubled teen girls essential life skills including culinary arts and financial management.
Since 1997, she has served in numerous leadership roles including Board Secretary, Vice President, and Treasurer. Her distinguished career, personal connection to GDA’s mission, and decades of unwavering commitment make her an invaluable asset to the board.