Catherine Barnes

About Catherine Barnes

In 2021, I returned to Retail RX with a challenge that energized me—rebuilding the Facilities & Energy program at Rite Aid. I had full autonomy, a talented team, and a chance to design something with real purpose. At the same time, I was honored to serve as Chair of the ConnexFM Board for 2024–2025, driving industry change and shaping the future of facilities management. For the first time in years, I wasn’t just managing—I was building something that mattered.In May 2025, Rite Aid filed for Chapter 11. Just like that, it ended. The work. The progress. The momentum. Gone. As I watched the industry shift, it became clear: retailers were closing stores, national providers were chasing volume over value, and PE-backed brands were slashing costs without a plan to protect assets. I had seen every angle—corporate, supplier, and franchise owner—and I knew the old way wasn’t working anymore.That was my aha moment. The industry didn’t need more patchwork solutions. It needed a strategic partner who could connect the dots across every level of the built environment.So I launched OnPoint Strategic Partners™ and created CoreBuild™, a five-phase method that helps service providers align with how FM buyers actually think. I had lived the RFPs, the rollouts, the broken handoffs—and I built the solution I wish existed back then.Now, I help FM service providers position as long-term partners, not just vendors. Together, we’re creating scalable systems, smarter messaging, and real client traction—without burning out sales teams or chasing the wrong leads.I’m no longer building for one brand. I’m helping many. And I’m using everything I’ve learned to elevate the people and partners who keep this industry running. This is my purpose. And we’re just getting started.

Experience

1. Member Board of Directors

   Connex Foundation, Inc

   Apr 2025 — Present

   The foundation empowers the multi-site facilities industry and expands its ability to execute local charity projects, provide scholarships and elevate the industry as a whole in an effort shrink the skilled trades gap.

Education

• University of Louisville

  Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services

• Sullivan College of Technology and Design

  Associate of Arts (A.A.), Interior Design

  1997 — 1999

• Sullivan University

  BS, Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services

  2003 — 2005