Gordon and Karen Barber live in Alpharetta, Georgia, just outside Atlanta. They met at the University of Maryland, where Karen was an undergraduate student and Gordon was a graduate student following his service as a U.S. Army officer.
Gordon is a 1970 graduate of The Citadel and retired from AT&T as an Assistant Vice President after 41 years of service. Originally from Hendersonville, North Carolina, Gordon has remained active in his community and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Karen grew up in Accokeek, Maryland, and graduated from the University of South Carolina in Columbia in 1975. She is an author and contributing editor for Guideposts Magazine, where her writing has appeared over the years.
Family is at the center of the Barbers' lives. They have three sons—Jeff, Chris, and John—and two daughters-in-law, Leah and Bailey. Their grandchildren include Reed, Kendall, Nora and Bennett. All of the family lives in the Atlanta area, allowing Gordon and Karen to enjoy frequent time together as an extended family.
The family's educational backgrounds reflect a strong tradition of achievement. Jeff is a graduate of Duke University and Duke's Fuqua School of Business, where he earned his MBA. Chris earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and his MBA from Emory University. John is a graduate of the University of Georgia and earned his MBA from the University of Maryland. Leah is a graduate of Georgia Tech, while Bailey graduated from the University of Georgia.