Garry Guan, a native of Harbin, China, immigrated to the United States in 1987 and became a U.S. citizen in 1999. Garry is a professional interpreter and translator by trade, as well as a dynamic entrepreneur; a certified mediator for the State of Georgia; a professional anthropologist and certified archaeologist; a certified scuba diver; a self-taught auto mechanic; a three-time winner of the Chinese Chess Championship; a gold medalist in the long jump, triple jump and pole vault at the Georgia State Games; a stand-up comic; a community activist and organizer; and an active Rotarian. But most important of all, Garry is a dedicated father and devoted husband who’s passionate about giving back to his adopted state and country and preserving their way of life for future generations.

 

Garry earned his B.A. in history and archeology from Beijing University in 1982 and M.A. in anthropology from the Central University of Nationalities in 1985. He completed the course work for a Ph.D. in archaeology and anthropology in University of Pittsburgh in 1992 and went on to serve as a senior archaeologist for numerous archaeological and environmental consulting firms her in Georgia. During this period, he developed a vision: to help bridge communication and cultural gaps and promote understanding and unity among different cultures. With this goal in mind, in 1995 he founded A-A Language Services to provide a full range of multilingual and multimedia communication services in all languages to private businesses and government agencies around the world. Garry served as president and chairman of the board for Atlanta Association of Interpreters and Translators and was elected the administrator for the Chinese Language Division of American Translators Association by his peers in the profession.

 

Garry has been passionately involved in volunteer activities with a wide range of non-profits for many years, including the Rotary Club of North Atlanta, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, the USO, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and the Georgia Council for International Visitors, Boy Scout of America and PTA, just to name a few. He is currently the secretary of the board of directors for the Asian American Resource Center; the secretary of the board of Partnership for Community Action, Inc.; and a board member of National Families in Action (NFIA), a non-profit organization focusing on preventing drug abuse among America’s youth. He is a past president of the Rotary Club of North Atlanta, a past vice president of the Chinese Business Association of Atlanta (CBAA) and the Association of Chinese Professionals - Atlanta (ACP), and a past Marketing Advisory Committee member for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). He is a graduate of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Leadership Institute class 2006. In 2007 he was inducted into Who’s Who in Asian American Communities (WWAAC) for Ten Southeastern States.

 

Promoting understanding and unity – locally and globally – has been the hallmark of Garry’s life and will be a major focus in his public service.

 

Garry is married to Paulina Guan, a native of Taiwan. They have two children, William (born in March 2002) and Tana (Born in January 2006). The Guan families are members of Norcross First United Methodist Church.