Jerald Barnes Bio: After a 40 year career with the world’s largest and most efficient logistics company, community 

engagement pioneer Jerald Barnes retired from The UPS Foundation as the Global Community Relations and 

Employee Engagement Director.

 

Unloading trucks for UPS in New Orleans, Louisiana while working his way through college, Jerald Barnes never could have 

imagined he was embarking on a career that would take him to the highest levels of the world’s largest and most respected 

transportation and logistics company. After a 40-year career, Jerald retired from The UPS Foundation as the Global Director of 

Community Relations and Employee Engagement.

 

Jerald accomplished a well-rounded career which included assignments in, industrial engineering, operations, human resources, training, employee relations, community relations, and The UPS Foundation. As an Industrial Engineer, Jerald implemented flow control, cost analysis, Return on Investments, break-even, audits, and measurement projects.  

 

An alumnus of the University of New Orleans, Jerald earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics and a received Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix. UPS sponsored Jerald to attend the prestigious Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship (BCCCC) for extensive training, where he completed all three of the center’s rigorous certification programs.

A social responsibility pioneer, thought-leader, and valued member of executive teams, Jerald has been promoted to mission-critical roles and led world-class global community initiatives designed to drive change and engage employees. He served as a trailblazer for UPS to many communities and groups; collaborating with high profile private, community, and civic organizations.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, UPS called on Jerald to lead their disaster relief and recovery team. Jerald became UPS’s first Logistics Loaned Executive, which blended his engineering training and community relations experience. UPS copied Jerald’s 

experience to pilot its award-winning Logistical Emergency Team (LETs). Today LETs are deployed in 27 countries around the world.  After being reassigned to the Corporate Industrial Engineering Department, Jerald led a team responsible for recruiting, hiring, and training top Industrial Engineers from Universities around the U.S.   

 

Jerald transferred to The UPS Foundation where he led a team of community relations managers around the world.  He has 

repeatedly been called upon to lead special community relations projects. This talent gave Jerald the title of “go-to Jerald” for his ability to analyze, evaluate, and develop sustainable solutions to community issues around the globe. His commitment to 

volunteerism, philanthropy, training, diversity, inclusion, and measurement are critical factors to his success.  

Jerald is a Board member of Louisiana Disaster Recovery Alliance, The National Black MBA Association and Phi Beta Fraternity, Inc. 

In June 2019 Jerald launched JBarnes Consulting with a mission to transforms community engagement for small- and medium-sized businesses across the U.S.  His evidence and experience-based approach helps design and deploy community involvement 

strategies that deepen employee engagement and advance company relationships in the community. Services include community SWOT analysis, team skill assessments and development, strategic philanthropy, employee engagement, event logistics, and 

measurement indicators that connect to essential business competencies.