Power couple put their stamp on education

Barbara and Craig Barrett are one of those couples where it’s difficult to determine who has more clout.

Together, they’re making a mark on private and public education.

Barbara Barrett was named this week as interim president of Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Barbara and Craig Barrett biking in Finland

She previously served as a U.S. ambassador to Finland and deputy administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration and is a current trustee of the Rand Corporation. Barrett ran unsuccessfully for governor of Arizona in 1994.

Her husband was named last week as chairman of the Arizona Ready Education Council, which is overseeing education reform in the state. The former chairman and CEO of Intel, Craig Barrett is president and chairman of BASIS Schools Inc., a network of charter schools in Arizona.

Barrett is also a director of K12 Inc. and vice chairman of the National Forest Foundation.

The two own Triple Creek Ranch, a resort in the Rocky Mountains in western Montana.

They’re both generous donors to the Republican Party. In the current election cycle, they have supported Mitt Romney. Each also gave $30,800 last year to the Republican National Committee.

Tweet This! Share on Facebook

Click here to sign up for the Muckety Newsletter

• Focus is on NYC charter schools - October 27, 2007
• Private school education breeds public school reformers - April 19, 2011
• Muckety mover - U.S. Forest Service - January 5, 2009
• Education nominee Arne Duncan gets some help from his friends - December 16, 2008
• Muckety mover - presidential vacation sites - August 20, 2010
• Rumsfeld still supports Republicans - March 27, 2008
• Steiner scores one for the scholars - November 27, 2010
• Romney draws on think tank expertise - May 23, 2012
• Charting the charter schools funding network - October 6, 2011
• Merryl Tisch brings myriad ties to NYS education post - April 8, 2009