Member spotlight: Matt Barber
January 11, 2021
Opportunities to lend a helping hand led Brevard County native to his career … and to Rotary
Matt Barber
found Rotary to be an excellent fit with his values and career path.
His father taught him to pursue both a career and a calling: something that pays the bills and, simultaneously, makes a positive difference in people’s lives. Accordingly, he attended the University of Central Florida to study health services administration – a field that could deliver on both counts.
His father taught him to pursue both a career and a calling: something that pays the bills and, simultaneously, makes a positive difference in people’s lives. Accordingly, he attended the University of Central Florida to study health services administration – a field that could deliver on both counts.
Barber is now director of development at St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care. His healthcare career spans more than 18 years of helping administer various services, including emergency department services, surgery, home healthcare and hospice.
“I enjoy the opportunity of helping others, especially with services that people don't have a lot of insight into,” said Barber, a Brevard County native. “It’s one of my jobs to help people understand what resources are available to them and to their families.”
St. Francis Reflections Lifestage Care has provided hospice services in Brevard County
for more than 40 years. The organization’s services include all stages of end-of-life care, from pre-hospice to post-hospice. That includes care for patients in their homes.
“Concerning hospice, there's a lot of misunderstanding about the qualifications for the services, and what those services provide to patients,” he said. “That's where I like to come into play and make a difference.”
Barber believes in service above self, and his role with St. Francis Reflections Foundation ties into that mission well. Part of his work is educating the community, meeting with individuals and speaking to groups about the organization’s mission. He makes people aware of the many opportunities to provide gifts, volunteer and use their skills to support that mission. As individuals and companies learn of the important work at St. Francis Reflections, Barber finds new partners in philanthropy.
He also strives to show the community how St. Francis Reflections lives the Rotary Four-Way Test daily. Barber's desire to make a difference and live by these principles was one of the factors that prompted him to join Rotary.
“I checked out several Rotary clubs and attended their meetings,” he said. “But Rockledge Rotary just had a great group of energetic people and there were a lot of things happening there. It’s an excellent opportunity to connect with the community and get to know a lot of people.”
A husband and father of two teenage sons, Barber enjoys a range of outdoor activities that includes biking, surfing
and fishing. “I really enjoy anything that involves spending time with my family outdoors,” he said.
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Rotarian Duane Daski is a member of the Rockledge City Council and has extended his service to countless people through volunteer work over many years. “I've always been involved in giving back and helping out,” Daski said. “I’m a big-time believer in giving back to your community whenever you can and helping out in any way you can.”