Director

Barbara Wastart, U.S. Air Force Veteran

Barbara Wastart is a dynamic leader whose career spans the skies, corporate boardrooms, and Caribbean shores. An Air Force veteran, Barbara launched her professional journey with a foundation of service, discipline, and resilience. She quickly rose through the ranks of corporate America, building an impressive career in sales, marketing, and business development. Her strategic vision and results-driven approach earned her executive leadership positions at industry giants including Equifax/Certegy and CUNA Mutual.

After achieving remarkable success in the corporate world, Barbara embraced early retirement to pursue a lifelong dream: building a resort on the island of Roatán, Honduras. Over the next 16 years, she brought that dream to life, developing a full-scale resort, Upachaya; as well as a beachfront restaurant, and bar, The Jolly Octopus – becoming a vital part of the island’s community and tourism landscape.

In 2022, Barbara returned to the U.S., bringing her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for meaningful work to the Virginia B. Andes Volunteer Community Clinic (VBA). As Director of Donor Development, she now focuses her talents on raising critical funds to support VBA’s mission of delivering free, high-quality medical and pharmaceutical services to uninsured and underserved residents of Charlotte County.

Committed to making a difference both professionally and personally, Barbara is deeply engaged in her community. She is a proud graduate of Leadership Englewood (Class of 2024) and Leadership Charlotte (Class of 2025), continuing her lifelong commitment to leadership, service, and impact.

Barbara is originally from Wisconsin where her two favorite people reside, her son Nathan, and granddaughter Fiona. She enjoys international travel, gardening, hiking, and is a certified Kundalini yoga instructor having earned her certification at the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, India.