Sara Barnard

With three decades of experience in media management and marketing, Sara Barnard serves as senior partnerships officer and media director at Gambel Communications, developing paid media strategies for clients and supporting business development for the firm.

Sara grew up in Houston and fell in love with New Orleans as a child on frequent trips to the city. At her first opportunity, she moved to New Orleans to attend Newcomb College at Tulane University where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree.

Sara has a broad background working in major markets across the United States with daily and alternative newspapers, online media and magazines. She has previously held executive positions with Village Voice Media, Red Herring Communications and was a key member of the launch team for Times Mirror Interactive that built successful newspaper affiliated websites for The Los Angeles Times, Newsday and The Baltimore Sun. Sara worked with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to build out its products for the 1996 Summer Olympics.

More recently, Sara was the first employee of the New Orleans edition of The Advocate when it launched in 2012 after The Times-Picayune reduced publication to three days per week. There she played a critical role in the success of The New Orleans Advocate, building a strong team that exceeded revenue expectations and launched a new media brand in a community closely aligned with tradition. Sara also created and served as publisher of Adore Magazine, launched in 2016, focusing on fashion, home design and décor.

Sara has served on the executive and nominating committees on the Newcomb College Alumnae Board. She currently serves on the executive board of the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and the Advisory Board of the Louisiana SPCA, and has held numerous local and national positions for Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity.