Biography
Councilwoman Barbara A. Ziarko has served on the Sterling Heights City Council since 2001. She has been a resident of Sterling Heights since 1977. Barbara holds an Associate's Degree from Macomb Community College and is a retired bookkeeper for St. Blase Catholic Church in Sterling Heights. She is a graduate of the civilian police and fire academies and the Sterling Heights CERT program.
Barbara, an Athena Award past nominee, is a member of the Friends of the Sterling Heights Public Library, and volunteers for The Heat and Warmth Fund (THAW), the Pope Francis Center in Detroit and St. Jude Children's Hospital. She has served as co-coordinator for the Macomb County Rotating Emergency Shelter Team at St. Blase Catholic Community. Barbara was a committee member of the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event in Sterling Heights (2005-2010), and served on the Regina High School Board of Directors from 2008 to 2015. She is also a member of the American Polish Century Club Ladies Auxiliary.
Barbara’s commitment to public service extends beyond Sterling Heights. She served on the Michigan Municipal League Board of Trustees from 2019 to 2023, including as Board President from 2021 to 2023. She is a graduate of the Elected Officials Academy Levels 1 and 2, and in 2024 was selected as an inaugural member of the Women Elected Intensive. That same year, she was honored with the Michigan Municipal League’s Jim Sinclair Award in recognition of her outstanding service and advocacy on behalf of municipalities across the state.
Barbara married Tom Ziarko in 1977 and they had one daughter, Stacy. Barbara and Tom remained happily married until his passing in 2014.