Alumni Hall of Fame
Academic / Professional Achievement (2025)

Academic or Professional Achievement

Barbara J. Poppe

2025

For five decades, Barbara Poppe has been a relentless advocate, activist, and leader in the fight to end homelessness in the United States. Her unwavering commitment, from her early days as a protester in the streets of Cincinnati to her leadership of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, is a testament to her resilience and determination. Barbara’s legacy is one of finding solutions to homelessness that seem insurmountable to others. Her peers and colleagues describe her as brilliant, and “years ahead” of others in the field, as well as having a work ethic to match. 

Barbara was born in Columbus but raised in St. Marys, Ohio, where she grew up as the oldest child of renowned local attorney, John A. Poppe, and educator, Beverly R. Poppe. She graduated from St. Marys Memorial High School in 1977, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from William Woods College in Fulton, Missouri, in 1981, and was accepted into the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine that same year. There, she earned a Master of Science in Epidemiology in 1987. While in Cincinnati, she lived in the community with women and children experiencing homelessness as one of the founding members of Bethany House Services. Barbara's leadership roles with non-profit organizations, including the formation of the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition in 1984, left a lasting impact on Cincinnati. She developed a unique perspective that blended her scientific and medical background with first-hand knowledge and experience from her outreach and advocacy efforts. She said that this experience helped solidify three core values: compassion, treating every person with dignity and respect, and advancing proven strategies based on science.

From 1990–2009, Barbara served first as the Executive Director of Homeless, Inc., and then as Executive Director of the Community Shelter Board, both based in Columbus, Ohio. Barbara drew upon her public health training and scientific background to use “whole person” and data-driven approaches to end homelessness by providing a continuum of care and housing support. Her contemporaries describe her as a passionate visionary, noting that her approach to addressing homelessness was years ahead of her time. She has a deep knowledge of the human and systemic aspects of homelessness, as well as a tireless work ethic. Her qualities led to her selection by President Barack Obama's Administration as Executive Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. She worked with nineteen federal agencies and four Cabinet secretaries to launch the first-ever comprehensive federal plan to prevent and end homelessness called, “Opening Doors,” in June 2010. This work led to a reduction in homelessness among veterans by more than half. 

In 2014, Barbara left the Interagency Council on Homelessness to establish Barbara Poppe and Associates, an independent consulting group. There, she collaborates with national, state, and local organizations, as well as governmental agencies and the corporate/business sectors, to address homelessness. Focus areas included strategic planning, program design, evaluation, and research. She has worked with numerous foundations, including the Bezos Day One Fund, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, and the Schultz Family Foundation, as well as with organizations in South Carolina, Texas, Florida, Washington, Ohio, the District of Columbia, Massachusetts, and Maryland, among others. She has served on the boards of Enterprise Community Partners, a national housing and community development organization; the National Alliance to End Homelessness; and the Center for Evidence-Based Solutions to Homelessness. Barbara also authored numerous articles and policy reports advocating for human-centered solutions to unsheltered homelessness, preventing homelessness, and reducing infant mortality by improving housing stability. Her activism continues, protesting in 2024 at the United States Supreme Court against punitive measures affecting homeless individuals.

To recognize her leadership in reducing homelessness among veterans, in 2014, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs awarded her a Certificate of Appreciation, and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans presented her with the 2011 Meritorious Service Award. Her advocacy efforts were recognized by “Back on My Feet” with the 2012 Going the Distance Award and by The National Coalition for the Homeless with the 2004 Buddy Gray Award. Her local leadership accolades in Columbus include the 2010 Mel Schottenstein Leadership Award from the Community Shelter Board, the 2006 YWCA Woman of Achievement award, and the Honda Equal Opportunity Community Service Award from the Columbus Urban League in 2005.  

For her selfless service and dedication over five decades advocating on behalf of the rights of and solutions to ending homelessness, including service at the highest level of the federal government, and for developing the first-ever comprehensive federal plan to prevent and end homelessness, Barbara Poppe is inducted into the St. Marys Memorial High School Alumni Foundation Hall of Fame for Academic or Professional Achievement.