bio

Dr. Daralee Barbera

  EdD CFP® CMFC® ChFC® CPBC® CLF®       

Professor – Speaker – Author - Business Coach 

Dr. Barbera is passionate about the importance of the financial services profession and the critical role of leadership. She has addressed thousands of professionals, both domestically and internationally. She is a member of Life Happens and GAMA International’s Speakers Bureau. 

She is a Certified Professional Business Coach, Professor, and veteran financial services professional. Her financial services career spans over three decades, starting as a financial advisor at Waddell and Reed, and then as Managing Principal with offices throughout Southern and Central California. She was Executive Vice President of GAMA International. In 2020, The American College of Financial Services welcomes her as adjunct faculty, as does California Lutheran University, teaching in the MSM, Master of Science in Management, and the Master of Science in Financial Planning programs, respectively.

Daralee was awarded the “2013-2014 Woman of the Year” for WIFS (Women in Insurance and Financial Services). In 2013, Daralee was named by Life Health Pro as one of the “20 Women in Insurance You Need to Know.” 

Dr. Barbera has co-authored two books: Women Matter – The Why and How of Gender Diversity in Financial Services and What You Can Do…When You Can’t – 21 Days to Personal Success. Her doctoral dissertation addressed Financial Literacy for Women and the Role of Financial Education: An Exploratory Study of Promising Practices. 

Dr. Barbera has an EdD in Leadership and Organizational Change from the University of Southern California, a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics (summa cum laude), and a Master of Arts in Secondary Education from California State University, Long Beach. 

As well as having served on The American College’s Board of Trustees, she is on the advisory board for The Northwestern Mutual Granum Center for Financial Security. She was 2014-2015 President of the GAMA International Board of Directors and is Chairman Emeritus of the Orange County California Chapter of the FPA (Financial Planning Association), which is formerly the IAFP (International Association of Financial Planning). She is also a member of WIFS (Women in Insurance and Financial Services), NAIFA (National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors), and PBCA (Professional Business Coaches Alliance). Among other prior professional associations are Women in Film (executive member), Filmmaker’s Alliance, and FPA. 

Dr. Barbera has been featured in the GAMA International Journal, GAMA’s “Best Ideas” series, National Underwriter, Life Health Pro, Advisor Today, The Wall Street Journal, Business Wire, Yahoo Finance, MarketWatch, The Wealth Channel, World News, International Business Times, Orange County Register, The Buffalo News, California Broker, Financial Planning, Investment News, Insurance News Net Magazine, and KPPC and KNX Radio in Los Angeles. 

Prior to her career in financial services, Daralee was a high school and college teacher. During that time, she co-chaired the Math department at Dana Hills High School in Dana Point, CA and taught at Fullerton College in Fullerton, CA.  During her tenure as an educator she was named Teacher of the Year by Capistrano Unified School District in Orange County, CA.

Daralee, a Los Angeles native, resides in Manhattan Beach, California.  She can be contacted at daraleebarbera@me.com.