Mr. Don Barbour was elected to chair the board of the Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers, Inc. (GYSTC) at the board’s June meeting. Mr. Barbour, who served as Vice- Chair of the board under the 8-year tenure of outgoing Chairperson Ms. Tanya Blalock, will serve as the new board chair to oversee the 17-member governing body.

Mr. Barbour has had a long and distinguished career as Regional Director of External Affairs for AT&T Georgia and government affairs responsibility on behalf of AT&T for all of Northwest Georgia and North Fulton, a 24 county region. In this role, Mr. Barbour serves as the company representative for all business, civic, community, cultural, education, economic development and governmental activities within this region.

An active community leader, in addition to the GYSTC board, Mr. Barbour also serves on the Berry College Board of Advisors; Past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Chattahoochee Tech Foundation; Friends of the Strand, Inc. Advisory Board; Cobb Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; Douglas County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman; Regional Business Coalition of Metro Atlanta Board of Directors and 2016 Board Chairman; Rotary Club of Marietta and Literacy Committee Chairman.

Mr. Barbour looks forward to broadening participation, volunteerism and donor support for GYSTC which marked its 30th Anniversary in March, 2019. The GYSTC mission is to provide quality programs for teachers of STEM subjects that improve the teaching and learning process at K-8 levels. We present programs that change students’ perceptions and inspire an appreciation for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Community engagement in the many GYSTC programs offered to students, their teachers, parents and the larger community statewide, is encouraged.