“It was a pleasure to work with Norma Barbacci, who was for more than 15 years the director of field projects for the Hispanic world (Spain, Portugal and Latin America). I have known her for much longer, as an avid nominator to the World Monuments Watch and as a project manager at Beyer Blinder Belle. Our relationship goes back to the early 90s or beyond. Norma is respected and admired by all who know her. She combines the qualities of enthusiasm, commitment and diligence that inspire confidence and trust, and spur a mutual response from people she works with in the field. Norma is one of the best networked conservation professionals in Latin America. She knows everyone in the field, stays in touch, and makes the connections between people, ideas and outcomes that make her a valued ally and friend. She is always reliable, always supportive, and always gets results. With these qualities, it is easy to see why. ”

“Norma Barbacci is the best project manager that I have ever encountered in my career. Highly recommended for your organization!”

“I have had the privilege of knowing and working with Norma Barbacci for over twenty-five years, first at the architectural firm of Beyer Blinder Belle and subsequently in her role as a program manager at the World Monuments Fund. Norma was engaged as a project architect and manager at Beyer Blinder Belle. In my thirty-three years at the firm, I have rarely encountered an architect with the management skills which Norma exhibited. She was able to lead multiple projects concurrently, and coupled with her high level of technical ability, this afforded her the opportunity to work on some of BBB’s most prestigious assignments both in New York and around the country. Her organizational skills brought a sense of order to the sometimes-chaotic process of delivering complex architectural projects. Norma’s demonstrated poise and public speaking skills allowed her to be an important representative of Beyer Blinder Belle both with clients and professional organizations. In Norma’s years at the World Monuments Fund, she was able to parlay the skills she developed at Beyer Blinder Belle to successfully manage the WMF’s work in Spain and South America. As program manager, she led some of the Fund’s most important initiatives. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit several of the sites she had worked on in Peru. The local staff spoke reverently of Norma’s work and how it had a transformational effect on the lives of the local villages through the thoughtful restoration of a number of 16th century mission churches. Norma has been a great advocate for the WMF and more importantly, a spokesperson for historic preservation. It is in this capacity as a professional colleague that I have worked with Norma over the last several decades. The integrity she brings to the field of preservation is highly respected. I can enthusiastically endorse Norma Barbacci for her next professional position. Her passion, her experience and her diverse skill set will be a great asset to any organization with which she is involved.”

“ had the privilege of working with Norma Barbacci for over ten years at World Monuments Fund, where she was in charge of heritage conservation projects in Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. There are three words that characterize her in this profession: commitment, quality, tirelessness. Commitment, because she always treats each and every of her projects with the same amount of care, always showing enthusiasm and resolve to bring them to a successful outcome. Quality, because her attention to details without losing sight of the big picture means that she completes her projects always meeting the approval of institutional partners and fellow conservators. It is not an exaggeration to say that most of her conservation projects established conservation good practice at an international level. Tirelessness, because she is one of the few people I ever met that is able to work and travel non-stop without showing any sign of fatigue. I cannot but wholeheartedly recommend Norma as a senior project manager in the field of cultural heritage conservation, documentation and management to any institution seeking to obtain exceptional project results. ”

“I first met Norma Barbacci in 1992 and my esteem for her professional achievements has grown steadily over the years.  Norma is a tireless advocate for the projects she manages and her partners in the field.  We overlapped for a decade at World Monuments Fund and Norma’s talents were evident in all aspects of her performance.  Her attention to detail was legendary at WMF and the organization benefitted from her knowledge of heritage matters, her passion for culture, and her resolve to see projects through to the best conclusion possible.  The only criticism one can make of Norma is that she does not rest until everything is done.”

“While Norma worked on Latin American projects at World Monuments Fund, she was one of the first people in the world to understand and to validate the importance of the architecture of the Cuban National Art Schools, which became the subject of an award-winning independent documentary film that I directed, called UNFINISHED SPACES. I credit Norma and her collaborators with saving this incredible work of modern architecture and Cuban cultural heritage from its demise. Not only that, she elevated awareness about this site so that others around the world rallied to protect its future. And the Cuban National Art Schools were only one of dozens of other sites that survive and thrive today because of Norma’s dedication and expertise as a preservationist and advocate. Norma has a natural ability to work diplomatically across cultures. I’ve never met anyone in the U.S. or Cuba who doesn’t think the world of her and value her ideas. As an architect/preservationist, I’ve seen Norma collaborate with the best in the world and work at the highest level. She can also meet local teams on their own terms and remain open to learning from their particular knowledge bases. Norma understands the importance of media and technology in architecture and preservation, and in our mainstream culture today. She advocated early on for the making of our documentary. She foresaw how it would support the on-site work of WMF, DOCOMOMO, and other preservation organizations. I watched her work with myself and other media artists to leverage social media, blogging, and video content to bring WMF and its programs onto the forefront of the digital world of arts/culture organizations. In addition, Norma is one of the most creative, bright, strategic, and generous people you will have the chance to work with. I give her my highest recommendation for any job relating to architecture and the arts, or cross-cultural business, or nonprofit organizations in general.”