Normanite in the Spotlight: Debbie Barnhill

Debbie Barnhill NORMANITE IN THE SPOTLIGHT

BY: Chelsey Kraft

Even her boss has called Debbie Barnhill a nurturer, a character trait that is on display not only through Barnhill’s career but also when it comes to her family, friends and community.

Prior to joining BancFirst 34 years ago, Barnhill spent 10 years working for attorneys in the area. At BancFirst, she started as secretary to the president before moving into different positions, including assistant branch manager and her current job as vice president of treasury management in Norman.

Barnhill takes care of commercial accounts for the bank, but after so many years at BancFirst and making long-term connections with people in the community, she also works with many people on their personal accounts.

“BancFirst is a wonderful place to work,” Barnhill said. “It’s a family bank. The Rainbolt family started it and continues to have a very active part in the bank. They are very good to their employees.”

Born at Norman Regional Hospital, Barnhill lived in Norman until she was 5 years old when her family moved to Amarillo, Texas. The family later moved back to Norman when she was 12, and she has lived in her birthplace ever since. Her parents, Clifford Ray and Mary Carolyn Heard, moved to Norman in the 1950s. Mary Carolyn attended the University of Oklahoma while Cliff was in the Navy.

One day in high school, Barnhill was at Greenleaf Bakery on Porter St., visiting her friend, Bertha. There she met her future husband, Mark, who happened to be her friend’s cousin, and the son of the bakery owner. Barnhill’s aunt and uncle owned Velma’s Bakery, where she worked, so there was friendly competition going on between the families.

The Barnhills will celebrate their 45th anniversary this summer.

They built a home on 20 acres off Highway 9 about 18 years ago on land that was originally part of a homestead belonging to Mark’s family. Both come from large families, Barnhill as the oldest of six children and Mark as one of seven.

When it came to settling down, Barnhill knew Norman was a good community and that she really did not want to go anywhere else, especially with so much family in the area.

Relationships with family and friends are important to Barnhill. She and Mark have two daughters, Valerie, who works for a local home builder, and Hillary, who passed away three years ago. They also have three grandchildren –two grandsons ages 17 and 12 and a granddaughter, who is 3 years old. One son-in-law is a fire chiefwith the Oklahoma City Fire Department, and another is in the National Guard. Both of Barnhill’s grandsons are active in sports, so she spends much of her time going to their basketball games and track and cross country meets.

"It's just awesome," Barnhill said of having her grandchildren nearby. "They are the joy of our lives. I think that any grandparent that you talk to will say how blessed it is that they’re lucky enough to live in the same town or close to the same town.”

Barnhill’s nurturing side is also on display through her community involvement. In past years, she has served on the Norman Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and helped with the United Way. In 1995, she was the president of the Kiwanis Club of Norman and remains active on the board of directors.

Last year, she received the Ambassador of the Year award from the Norman Chamber for her role mentoring new chamber members to help them feel welcome and part of the group.

As for being called a nurturer, Barnhill said it came naturally for her because she was the oldest child and is a mother. Overall, it means she cares for people, including those she has met through community involvement and work.

“I am fortunate to have a strong network throughout the bank,” Barnhill said. “I do a variety of things here at the bank and am able to work with all BancFirst Norman associates as well as the Oklahoma City Support Center. I have met so many people in this community that have become good friends and business associates over the years. I feel extremely blessed to have been a member of this community and work for a great company like BancFirst all these years.” – BSM