Alice E Barr

Alice was a catalyst in my life. I interviewed with Alice in '79-'80 for the Linen Manager at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, IL. She was heading up the Materiel (not a typo, never could understand why they spelled it that way....) Management division and I think this was her new position after being a head RN. 

I was currently working as a Psych Technician at 5 Center and wanted to move away from social work into a more business environment. I can still remember when HR offered me the job and Alice became my mentor for the next 3-4 years. She encouraged me to pursue my MBA as she was currently enrolled in the U of Chicago program. Thanks to her input I started and completed my MBA at Lake Forest in '85.

In '98 I was out of the hospital and had built up a procurement career with various companies. I had an interview with Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers (PCGB), which was part of Whitman Corp and somehow was informed that Alice worked at Whitman in their HR/Benefits area. We went out to dinner before the interview and she gave me insights into the corporate culture at Whitman - which also owned Midas, Hussmann Refrigeration, etc.

I was hired at PCGB and spent the next 14 years working in the bottler network and corporate PepsiCo. I'll also remember Alice for her guidance during my career.