About Us

What makes Babs unique is that she doesn’t just build contacts – she makes friends.

Babs has spent her career building connections to positively impact the world around her, and Chase Magnolia capitalizes on her passion to make a difference by bringing changemakers together. She has led outreach programs in myriad industries including Politics, Economic Development, Labor, Public Diplomacy, Corporate America and Defense.  Babs is a strong believer that by taking the time to get to know people and their passions, you bring individuals together to have true impact in a community, the country and the world. 

Babs’s true passion is in the Defense industry connecting organizations wishing to be involved in the community by supporting those who wear the uniform of our country and the families serving alongside them. She is recognized as a national leader in support of our nation’s veterans as a 2021 graduate of the George W. Bush Institute’s Veteran Leadership Program and a member of the program’s inaugural alumni committee.

Babs most recently served as the Vice President of Military and Veterans Programs at The Manufacturing Institute, the workforce development and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers. Babs led Heroes MAKE America- the Institute’s initiative to build connections between the military community and the manufacturing industry. Babs oversaw a $2M budget, tripling sponsor engagement moving from deficit to surplus in two years. Under her leadership, Heroes MAKE America transformed into a data-driven, results-oriented graduating over 600 alumni with 90% placement in over 250 organizations in 40 States.

Previously, Babs worked on the Public Affairs Team in Corporate Responsibility at JPMorgan Chase & Co. where she was responsible for expanding the face of the Firm in the Mid-Atlantic region by building relationships and engaging with local stakeholders and civic leaders.

From 2011 – 2017 Babs orchestrated executive outreach on behalf of the U.S. Army Senior Leadership developing and maintaining a network of over 800 external influencers to advise them on impactful opportunities for the Army. She received the Department of the Army Superior Civilian Service Award and Meritorious Civilian Service Award in recognition for her contributions.

Babs served almost all 8 years in the Administration of President George W. Bush. She began her DC career working in Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison at the Department of Labor representing the Secretary with local and State governments and corporate and association leaders around the country.

At the beginning of the Iraq War, she joined the Public Affairs Team in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. She helped build an integrated community relations program to inform influencers about the policies, programs, and goals of the Department and developed a multi-pronged DoD military support campaign with events in the U.S. and abroad connecting civilians with those serving.  She led the Joint Civilian Orientation conference, a Secretary of Defense program for corporate and community leaders, to expand their understanding of the role of defense around the world showcasing our military from all Services.

In her final role with the Administration, she served at the Department of State Foreign Press Center where she promoted democracy by coordinating the foreign press coverage of the 2008 elections for hundreds of journalists from around the world.  She was recognized for her work with the U.S. Department of State, Group Superior Honor Award for Election Programs.

In her life before the beltway, Babs worked in economic development at the Memphis Area Chamber of Commerce and got her start in politics working for former Senator Fred Dalton Thompson of Tennessee. She is on the National Alumnae Board of The Hutchison School. A graduate of Baylor University, Babs is a proud native of Memphis, Tennessee. She and her husband, Andrew Mickley (a Navy retiree), reside in Del Ray in Alexandria, Virginia with their Cavalier King Charles, Elvis.

Blackpoint Strategies

BlackPoint Strategies is a full-service consulting, communications and strategic marketing firm focused on real results. Their mission is to build strategic partnerships with corporate, academic, government, and non-profit partners and leverage those relationships to help our clients achieve their goals. Blackpoint has a team of highly professional, skilled, seasoned communicators and strategists are armed with the most unique and advanced technological resources available in order to counsel our clients and offer meticulous analysis, in-depth knowledge and pragmatic solutions resulting in high impact, practical results.