Roy Barnes 2010

A lifelong resident of Cobb County, Roy Barnes knew from a young age what profession he wanted to pursue.  Still today, his love of the law, his commitment to serving others, and his desire to make Georgia work have never wavered.

Roy was born and raised in Mableton, Georgia, where his family farmed and owned a general store.  Roy grew up listening to his neighbors, who would gather at the store to discuss important issues of the day.  He developed a passion for service and has devoted his career to finding and fighting for solutions to the multitude of challenges that Georgia families face.
After earning an undergraduate degree and a law degree from the University of Georgia, Roy served as a prosecutor in the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.  He then served eight terms in the state Senate and three terms in the state House of Representatives before being elected governor in 1998.

As governor, Roy never lost sight of his commitment to improve the everyday lives of all Georgians.  In the area of education, he worked to raise academic standards, reduce classroom sizes and increase teachers’ salaries, and he started incentives for the National Board Certification of Teachers.  In the field of healthcare, he passed legislation that expanded patients’ right to choose their physicians and held insurance companies accountable for providing prompt, quality care.  Roy strengthened economic support for families by successfully implementing property tax cuts for homes and family farms and by establishing a sales tax holiday for Georgia.  He also passed tough anti–predatory lending standards and founded the Georgia Cancer Coalition.

After leaving office, Roy devoted six months to Atlanta Legal Aid before returning to the private practice of law, which he has done through the establishment of The Barnes Law Group with his daughter.  He was honored with the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation Profile in Courage Award in 2003.

Though he has had a notable career in public service, the main focus of Roy’s life has been his family.  Roy and his wife, Marie, live close to their three children and six grandchildren.  The family attends the First United Methodist Church of Marietta.