Jason Barger, UAHS Class of 1994
Notable achievements at Upper Arlington High School
Athletics were a significant part of Jason’s Upper Arlington High School experience and helped lay a foundation for the leadership skills he has today. He was the sports editor for The Arlingtonian and captain of the boys basketball team. He was named co-MVP of the team and first-team All-OCC, and was selected as a District All-Star. He also served twice as a sixth-grade camp counselor.
College / career experiences
Jason is a graduate of Denison University, where he served as captain of the men’s basketball team, and also received certification from Georgetown University in nonprofit executive management.
Jason is committed to engaging the minds and hearts of people in order to strengthen leadership, culture and clarity of mission, vision and values. He is a globally celebrated author, speaker, consultant and creator of the “Step Back from the Baggage Claim” movement. His most recent books, Remember and Thermostat Cultures, have been widely celebrated around the globe.
As founder of Step Back Leadership Consulting LLC, Jason works with organizations that are passionate about culture change, leadership development, innovation, service, and bringing their mission to life every day. He has worked with iconic brands such as Deloitte, Caribou Coffee, Wendy’s, Ultimate Software, SHRM, Nationwide Insurance, TED and many more.
In 2004, he was one of five people in Columbus to receive a Jefferson Award, a national award given to “Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things.” In 2014, he was selected as a “40 Under 40” award winner by Columbus Business First.
How did UA Schools prepare you for success?
“UA Schools helped create an environment for collaborative learning. The best teachers I had were the ones who created an ecosystem within their classrooms that challenged our thinking and encouraged collaboration and problem-solving with other students. I was lucky to be around wonderful teachers and very talented students. I’m grateful for the experiences in the classroom and beyond that helped support me.”
Posted: Monday, March 16, 2020