KAREN PECORA-BARBOUR

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The Barbour Group, LLC

Karen Pecora-Barbour, president and CEO of The Barbour Group, LLC, has built her leadership around empowering employees and strengthening the communities they serve. With half of her team of Hispanic descent, she founded the Alliance for Hispanic Commercial Contractors in 2016 to provide procurement-ready support through partnerships with Chesapeake Employers Insurance, M&T Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, DeWalt, MDOT and her own agency. The organization has funded financial accounting assistance, legal retainers, claim consultants and more than $8,000 in scholarships for Hispanic contractors.

Pecora-Barbour also established Party for A Cure Corporation, a nonprofit supporting Marylanders with neuromuscular diseases. Led by a volunteer board with full dedication from her crew, PFAC has raised more than $1.4 million to fund home renovations, vehicle repairs, vehicles, rent, home additions, service dogs and driver licenses.

As a nationally licensed agency supporting federal contractors, The Barbour Group faces evolving challenges. Pecora-Barbour previously passed landmark legislation on the Hill in Maryland to ease procurement regulations for small businesses and continues advocating for growth opportunities. With federal funding for Woman Owned Small Business contractors and disadvantaged business enterprises facing cuts, she connects WOSB and DBE clients with potential partners who value their proven track records. Geographic diversification protects the company from dependence on any single state.

Pecora-Barbour serves on the board and executive committee of Women Construction Owners and Executives after a decade of involvement. She was recently appointed to the Minority Business Roundtable and serves as current president of both PFAC and AHCC.

“Everything in life is a blessing; you just don’t know it at the time,” Pecora-Barbour said.

Honoree profiles were written using an artificial intelligence program and supported by information provided by the honorees and other resources. Each profile was reviewed, fact-checked and edited for accuracy by The Daily Record’s editorial staff.