Dr. Barnes has been serving as interim president of Cleary University in Howell, Michigan. She is the first woman to lead that educational institution. Before being named interim president, Dr. Barnes was provost and executive vice president of academic affairs at Cleary University.
Dr. Barnes has been serving as provost and chief academic officer at the university since July 2019. She is the first woman to serve as provost at the university. Earlier, she was dean of instruction and learning resources at the university.