Keating appointed Barnett to serve concurrently as the Director of Oklahoma Department of Commerce.
In 1993, Barnett accepted the position of Director of Business Development with Tulsa-based The Official Information Company.
[5] Following the end of Keating's term as governor, Barnett returned to Tulsa to become the managing director of merchant banking with TSF Capital LLC, where he specialized in mergers and acquisitions.
In 2006, Barnett announced he would seek the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Democratic Oklahoma State Treasurer Scott Meacham.
[9] On October 5, 2009, the Board of Regents for Oklahoma State University (OSU) named Barnett president of OSU-Tulsa, succeeding Gary Trennepohl.