Title: Executive Director
Company: National Alliance on Mental Illness
Location: Superior, Wisconsin, United States
Chrissy Barnard, Executive Director at the National Alliance on Mental Illness, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in the nonprofit sector.
Ms. Barnard, a seasoned nonprofit professional, assumed the role of executive director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Lake Superior in South Shore, Wisconsin, in 2024. Her leadership has guided the organization toward its mission, strategy, and annual goals. She oversees strategic planning, operations, administration, financial and resource management, and programming, reporting directly to the board of directors. Her commitment to the program’s values is evident in her every action, providing reassurance about the future of NAMI.
Having been recognized for her hard work, Ms. Barnard has been instrumental in helping to establish her local NAMI with extensive support from the local mayor and by coordinating a coalition of 30 organizations to collaborate on policy writing, grant applications, property acquisition, rezoning and compliance with building codes. Before being named the executive director, she was NAMI’s board president from 2020 to 2024.
NAMI is recognized as a nonprofit organization that provides hope and help to those impacted by mental health conditions. Noting that one in five adults has some sort of mental illness, the organization’s mission is to help build better lives through various programs. Established in 1979, NAMI now serves as the nation’s leading voice on mental health, with over 600 local affiliates to raise awareness and provide support and education to those in need. NAMI of Lake Superior in South Shore, Wisconsin, is Ms. Barnard’s local affiliate.
Among other noteworthy roles, Ms. Barnard has served with the Governor’s Council on Mental Health. Previously, she was on the recovery instrumentation task force committee with the Department of Health and Human Services. She also garnered success with several coalitions and groups, including the Coordinated Community Response Group and the Douglas County Care Team.
In preparation for her future, Ms. Barnard graduated from Lakeland University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology. She remains active with several professional organizations, including NAMI at the local, state, and national levels and the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.
Civically active, Ms. Barnard has been involved as a mental health educator since 2017. She formerly engaged with Disability Rights Wisconsin between 2017 and 2023. Over the past few years, she has been featured several times in the media, including the 17th episode of the Voices of Recovery with Dr. Ken Duckworth Podcast in 2023, titled ‘Discovering that Recovery is Possible.’
In light of her success, Ms. Barnard has been honored with numerous awards, including being recognized as a two-time recipient of the Volunteer of the Year award by Essentia Health in 2022 and 2023, receiving the Most Engaged Volunteer Award for the Northland, The Rosie Awards, in 2024 and the Gloria Huntley Award from NAMI in 2024. These accomplishments reflect her hard work and dedication to her field and the community.
Enthusiastic about future endeavors, Ms. Barnard intends to further her education by pursuing a master’s degree. She believes in the importance of advanced education and the many possibilities it will provide for her in the future.
For more information, please visit:
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Contact Ms. Barnard:
