Barbara Buffaloe, Vice-Chair

Barbara Buffaloe is Columbia’s mayor. She is passionate about sustainability and community development and leads initiatives to create a greener, more resilient city. Before becoming mayor, Barbara was the city’s first sustainability manager.

Barbara serves on several boards, including the Missouri Innovation Center, Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI) and the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. She’s the chair of the Environment Standing Committee for the U.S. Conference of Mayors and represented U.S. mayors at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2023.

Barbara is part of the Bloomberg Harvard Civic Leadership program, which equips mayors and senior city officials to tackle complex challenges in their cities and improve the quality of life of their residents. She has held accreditation through Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) since 2004.

A proud alumna of the University of Missouri, Barbara moved to Columbia from Springfield, Illinois, in the late 1990s. She earned a bachelor of science in environmental design and a master of science in environment and behavior.

Barbara lives near downtown with her husband, Dr. Lucas Buffaloe, and their two children, Eleanor and Benjamin. She’s also an active member of the Columbia Rotary Club and continually seeks ways to give back.