About Wendell L. "Buddy" Barnes

Buddy graduated from UMR in 1973 with a bachelor in Engineering Management and he received his MBA from Mississippi College in 1988.  He was a two year leader on the golf team, receiving the outstanding golfer award in 1973. Prior to attending UMR he attended Colorado School of Mines from 1964-1966 and was all-conference both years.  From 1969-1977 he participated in numerous Army Golf championships; Fifth Army Championship, VI Corps Championships, won installation championships and competed in the Austrian and Belgium Amateur Championships. Buddy served for 21 years in the US Army Corps of Engineers with assignments in Vietnam, Korea, Germany and the Mobile and Savannah Corps Districts.  He retired in 1988 as a Lieutenant Colonel.  He then continued his public service with the city of Houston where he initially was the airport engineer and later deputy director of the Public Works & Engineering and director of the Greater Houston Wastewater Program. From there he went on to private practice for the last fourteen years with Carter & Burgess, Montgomery & Barnes and now MWH Americas.  Buddy is in the S&T Academy of Engineering Management, he is on the National Board of Directors, Society of American Military Engineers, a Fellow in SAME, recently a Vice Chair, Academy of Fellows and has been the mentor for the Texas A&M SAME Student Chapter for 15 years. He has received numerous engineering awards, including the Wheeler Medal for outstanding engineering in the Corps of Engineers, Goethals Medal for eminent engineering nationally and was selected Public Works Leader of the Year.  Buddy and his wife, Mary, have two sons, Wendell and Matthew, two grandchildren and live in The Woodlands, Texas.