Barbara Ballard

{{Short description|American politician (born 1944)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| image =

|name= Barbara Ballard

|image name=

|state_house= Kansas

|state= Kansas

|district= 44th

|term_start= January 11, 1993

|term_end=

|preceded= Sandy Praeger

|succeeded=

|party= Democratic

|birth_date= {{Birth date and age|1944|11|14}}

|birth_place= Petersburg, Virginia, U.S.

|death_date=

|death_place=

|spouse= Albert Ballard

|profession=

|alma_mater= Webster College (BMEd)
Kansas State University (MS, PhD)

|religion=

|residence= Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.

}}

Barbara W. Ballard (born November 14, 1944) is a Democratic member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing the 44th district. Born in Petersburg, Virginia, she has served since 1993.[http://votesmart.org/candidate/6927/barbara-ballard#.UfqvjGRxtHs Barbara W. Ballard] Vote Smart. Retrieved June 28, 2009.

Prior to her election to the House, Ballard served on the Lawrence School Board from 1985 to 1993. Ballard is treasurer of the Kansas African American Legislative Caucus.

Ballard earned a bachelor's degree from Webster College in 1967, a Master of Science in 1976 and a doctorate in 1980, both from Kansas State University.[http://vote-ks.org/Intro.aspx?State=KS&Id=KSBallardBarbaraW Biographical Profile for Barbara W. Ballard] Retrieved June 28, 2009. She worked as an elementary school teacher, and from 1980 until 2004 was dean of students at the University of Kansas as well as director of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center. She is now the senior associate director at the Dole Institute of Politics.{{cite news|url=http://today.ku.edu/2015/02/04/kathleen-sebelius-part-upcoming-dole-institute-lecture-series|title=Kathleen Sebelius part of upcoming Dole Institute lecture series|publisher=University of Kansas|date=February 4, 2015|access-date=March 24, 2015}}

Ballard is the chairwoman of the House Democratic Caucus.[http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=6927 Project Vote Smart - Rep. Barbara Ballard Biography] Retrieved June 28, 2009.[http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/members/rep_ballard_barbara_1/ Kansas State Legislature - Representative Barbara Ballard, 2015-2016] Retrieved October 19, 2015