Barbara Hawthorn has created and directed award-winning residential and commercial projects throughout the United States for over 30 years. She has been named one of the DC area’s best in numerous publications. Many of her innovative designs have been featured on Home &; Garden Television (HGTV), and in national and regional newspapers, magazines, and designer show houses. In 2009, she was named “Hall of Fame Designer” by Home and Design. The National Association of Professional Women named Barbara 2011 Professional Woman of the Year.
Barbara Hawthorn, the President and CEO of BHI has an exceptional combination of expertise in both aesthetic and technical disciplines. While growing up in New York, Los Angeles, London, and Paris, Barbara traveled to major European and Far Eastern cities, developing her appreciation for architecture and the decorative arts. During her summers in high school, she worked for her father’s engineering firm, which pioneered the energy-Ford Foundation Fellowship and earn a Masters of Public Policy degree from University of California, Berkeley, 1974.
Dedicated to advancing educational opportunities for children, Barbara serves on the Executive Steering Committee of the Women’s Leadership Group for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, where she chaired both 2010 and 2011 galas. She was the 2010 and 2011 Chair of the Host Committee for the Heart of America Foundation’s gala, which focuses on children’s literacy and community service. She serves on the board of Good Weave International, dedicated to eliminating international child labor and providing educational opportunities, and serves on the Board of the McLean Project for the Arts. Barbara volunteers as Director of New Membership for Charity Works, an organization dedicated to educational and support opportunities to children and to support of our wounded Veterans. Barbara has served as the Chair of the MADE: In America National Advisory Council. The Phillips Collection Museum has designated Barbara one of their“Ambassadors.”