Barbara grew up on a dairy and standardbred racehorse farm in Plainfield, New Hampshire. She graduated from Cornell University in 1979. After spending two years in a mixed animal practice in northern New Hampshire she returned to the Upper Valley and established Riverbend Veterinary Clinic in 1981. As the practice has grown, she has transitioned from treating both small and large animals to primarily treating horses and dairy cows. Outside of veterinary medicine she enjoys reading, gardening, and spending time at her family farm, McNamara Dairy.