Samantha Barnes, 34
Vice President, Marketing & HR
Mountain States Agency
“I always tell people the electrical industry found me and I’m so happy it did,” said Samantha, who started her career in the industry in 2011 as an office manager for a local distributor while working on her degree from the University of New Mexico. “My knowledge of the industry at that time was zero, but I took a chance and here I am more than 12 years later!”
After graduating, Samantha worked in inside sales for a lighting manufacturer. In 2014 she joined Mountain States Agency (MSA). “I’ve worked for MSA nine out of the 11 years it has been in business,” she said. “I was the first employee hired at MSA, and I’ve done a little of everything: inside sales, administrative, quotations, etc.”
As the company grew, so did Samantha’s role and responsibilities—helping the company grow from no sales to more than $100M today. “Having worked at a distributor, a manufacturer, and now a manufacturer rep agency, I can easily connect and understand the pain points and perspectives across the entire industry,” she said.
In addition to her current role, Samantha is a member of MSA’s Leadership Team. “The Leadership Team works directly with the CEO to help develop, oversee, manage, and guide the company toward our goals,” she explained. “We represent 26 manufacturers across New Mexico; Colorado; eastern Wyoming; and El Paso, Texas. I am responsible for 12 people and have seen the business grow and evolve for 11-plus years. It’s been an exciting journey for me to watch our company continue to excel.”
Samantha noted that what really appealed to her as a new hire were the different career avenues available and possibilities for growth. “The electrical industry is exciting to me because we are innovating, designing, supplying, and installing the components that power the world. The industry affects and touches everyone in everyday life,” she said, noting that she’d like to see more women in our industry. “There is a lot of work being done to encourage girls toward STEM,” she explained. “I’ve noticed an increase in female leaders since the beginning of my career and I feel blessed that I’ve had so many amazing mentors recognize my potential and challenge me. I really want to repay their efforts as a mentor to others and be able to not only lead, but also pull them up with me.”
Samantha said her next career goal is to expand her marketing team and help build a marketing network for manufacturer rep agencies. “Currently I belong on rep councils with a few of our manufacturers and work with them to give feedback on what is helpful for a sales team to have in our markets,” she said.
Asked what she would tell someone just entering the industry, Samantha offered two pieces of advice: “The first is to learn all you can,” she said. “We are at such an exciting time, with four generations together in the workforce. Ask questions, find out why someone does something a certain way, and soak up all the knowledge. Don’t pass up on the mentorship available to you.”
Samantha’s second piece of advice: “Give yourself grace,” she said. “You do not know everything and you’re going to fail. It’s okay. Own it, then go back to lesson one and learn from it.”
Samantha is married to her college sweetheart, Jon, with whom she shares three young children. “Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family and being active,” she said. “You can find me training for my next half-marathon, playing co-ed softball, coaching my kids in little league, hiking, and snowboarding.”
Each year tED magazine recognizes 30 of the industry’s best and brightest under the age of 35. Please visit tedmag.com/30Under35 for nomination information and updates about the 2024 program. Questions can be sent to tED Editor Misty Byers at mbyers@naed.org.
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