Before receiving her license to practice law in Tennessee, Barbara spent more than two decades as a Registered Nurse and Gerontological Nurse Practitioner working in a variety of settings, including hospitals, long-term care centers, outpatient clinics, and home health. Her skills include executive management, sales, consulting, and business development. She spent nearly a decade as director of nursing services at a large continuing care retirement center in the Nashville area.

Barbara’s passion for helping people deal with age-related changes extends beyond her clinical experience. She has traveled the elder care continuum with both parents as well as other family members. These experiences have given her tremendous empathy for families facing the prospect of a long-term illness of an aging loved one. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee; a master’s degree as a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner from Vanderbilt University in Nashville; and a Juris Doctor degree from Nashville School of Law. She was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 2010, joined the Elder Law Practice of Timothy L. Takacs in 2011. She became a 50% partner in 2016, and the firm rebranded to Takacs McGinnis Elder Care Law in 2017. She holds the coveted Certified Elder Law Attorney credential from the National Elder Law Foundation.

Since becoming licensed to practice law, Barbara has contributed her leadership skills to professional and civic organizations on the local and national level. She has been a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) since 2011 and has served on the NAELA board of directors since 2022. She is a former president of the NAELA Tennessee Chapter and former chair of the Elder Law Section of the Tennessee Bar Association.