Atlanta Regional Commissioner Bios

 Paul D. Barnes
Regional Commissioner

Paul D. Barnes has served as Regional Commissioner for the Atlanta Region since July 2002.  As Regional Commissioner, he is responsible for administering the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income Programs in the following 8 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.  The Atlanta Region consists of over 250 facilities; approximately 13,000 employees; serves a population of approximately 54 million citizens; and pays monthly benefits that exceed $6 billion dollars.

Paul began his Social Security career as a Claims Representative in Columbia, Tennessee.  He has held a number of leadership positions since joining the Agency, including Director of the Southeastern Program Service Center in Birmingham, Alabama; Regional Commissioner of the Chicago Region; and the Social Security Administration’s Deputy Commissioner for Human Resources.

Paul was born and raised in Tennessee.  The son of "sharecroppers", he worked his way through College, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee.   In 2009, Paul was selected by Lane as one of it’s “Top 100 Graduates” in the School’s History.  He also earned a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and is a graduate of Harvard University's Senior Managers in Government Program.

As a member of the Senior Executive Service, he has received Awards in recognition of his excellence in public service from three Presidents.  Other honors include the Equal Employment Opportunity Award from the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; the Social Security Administration's National Leadership Award; and two Commissioner's Citations – Social Security’s most prestigious individual award.   In 1999, he received a Federal Hispanic Heritage Month Excellence Award from the Secretary of Labor in recognition of his efforts to ensure equal employment opportunities for Hispanics.  In 2001, the American University School of Public Affairs selected Paul to receive the University's prestigious Roger W. Jones Award for Executive Leadership.  He also received the National Public Service Award in 2001.  This award is sponsored jointly by the American Society for Public Administration and the National Academy of Public Administration. He was cited as an individual who has "made a difference" in Public Administration for a sustained period of time.

Paul was the first recipient of the Social Security Commissioner’s Personal Achievement Award in 2002.  In 2005, he received the Commissioner’s Trailblazer Award for “Successfully guiding the Social Security Administration in the implementation of the electronic Disability Process through exemplary Initiative, Leadership, Determination and Practicality.”   In 2009 Paul was the recipient of a National Combined Federal Campaign “Hero” Award.  The Award recognizes his leadership of CFC campaigns in Atlanta, Chicago, Central Maryland, and Birmingham, Alabama.  These Campaigns raised over $13 million dollars for local, national, and international charities.

Paul has always been active in the communities where he has lived.   He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta and has twice served as Chair of the Atlanta Federal Executive board.  He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, and a lifetime member of the N.A.A.C.P. and the Lane College National Alumni Association.

Paul and his wife Faye have two adult children.

Paul D. Barnes Biography

Alabama
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Mississippi
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee