Brief Bio of Garry Guan

Garry Guan, a Chinese American and a Lehal Naturalized U.S. citizen, born on May 4, 1955, in the suburb of Harbin, a beautiful colonial city known as “A Pearl under a Swan’s Neck” in Manchuria, China. He was sent to the youth labor camp after high school in 1971 for seven years in a rural area outside of Harbin to receive "re-education" from the formers during the notorious "Cultural Revolution."

After Mao's death, Deng Xiaoping restored college education in China that had been stopped for ten years and allowed all high school graduates from the past ten years to participate in a national college entrance exam together simultaneously across the entire country. As part of 20 million college applicants, at a 6.6% overall admission rate, Garry made it to one of the top universities in the nation - Peking University. After obtaining his B.A. in history and archaeology from Peking University, Garry got his M.A. in Ethnology/Anthropology at the Central Institute of Nationalities (presently Minzu University) in Beijing. He came to the United States in 1987 to pursue his higher education in a Ph.D. program in Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Pittsburgh. He later became a legally naturalized U.S. citizen, a proud American by choice.

Garry is a professional archaeologist and also a Mandarin<>English interpreter and translator by trade, a small business owner and dynamic entrepreneur; an accomplished scholar in history, archaeology, and anthropology; a community leader, and an active Rotarian; a faithful Christian of the United Methodist denomination. And, above all, Garry is a family man, dedicated father, and husband.

Moving to the Beautiful State of Hawaii in October 2022 to take a position as the State Historic Preservation Archeaologist IV/O 'ahu Island Lead Archaeologist at the State Historic Preservation Division &SHPD) of the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) of the State of Hawai 'i , He caught on the "Aloha Spirit" right away and has been striving to live his life with the "Aloha Spirit." Although he often refes himself as an "Entry Level Hawai ' ian", he has actually become a "naturalized" Hawai'ian by heart.

Moving to the State of Georgia in 1992, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he became a passionate volunteer and leader with a number of non-profits and professional organizations for over 30 years. These include Asian American Resource Center, Partnership for Community Action, National Families in Action, American Translators Association (ATA), National Association of Judiciary Interpreters (NAJIT), Atlanta Association of Interpreters Translators, and many more. He was the Republican Nominee for Georgia State Senate District 40 in 2020 and on the same ballot as our president, Donald Trump. He served as the Georgia Asian Pacific Islanders (API) Coalition Coordinator and organized community leaders from all significant Georgia Asian Pacific Islander communities. He supervised the Asian language media campaign outreach advisor for the National Republican Senatorial Committee on Battle Ground Georgia Campaign for the 2021 Georgia Run-off election.

He is currently a member of the Aiea United Methodist Church, and the International Service Director of the Rotary Club of Kapolei, Hawai'i. Garry was a graduate of the Atlanta Regional Leadership Institute in 2006. He was inducted into Who’s Who in Asian American Communities of the Southeast United States in 2007. As the first non-Korean American to be recognized with a Community Service Award by Karean American Association of Greater Atlanta in 2009 . He was recognized as one of the Top 24 Most Influential Asian Americans in Georgia in 2011 by Georgia Asian Times. A pasonate true patriot, promoting the Republican Party and the conservative values has been the hallmark of Garry’s political life.