Barry Buchanan is a Navy Veteran, a musician, a fourth-generation resident of Whatcom County, and the current Chair of the Whatcom County Council. He and his wife of 49 years, Judy, live in Bellingham, where they raised their 3 children.

A lifelong public servant, Barry was first elected to public office as the President of his neighborhood association. Inspired by his neighbors, he then turned his energies toward the Bellingham City Council, where he served one term, and then the County Council, where he served for ten years.

Barry began his career with the US Navy, serving 7 years in Naval aviation. After the Navy, he became an engineer and worked at Lockheed Martin on some of our nation’s biggest projects, like the Space Shuttle and the Hubble Space Telescope. Barry also founded a small business in which he consulted as a workforce trainer for companies in the food processing, power generation, and pulp and paper industries.

When he’s not working on the County Council, Barry’s passion for music tends to fill the better part of his schedule. He and his wife co-founded the Bellingham High School alumni band, where Barry served as Drum Major for 14 years. These days, Barry spends his time songwriting and learning new styles of guitar.