Since the summer of 2001, Barbara Gordon has been the city's public information officer. She has ushered the city through some of its more trying moments: the Sept. 11, 2001 tragedy, the beginning of the Moussaoui trial and the Washington sniper investigation. She has been on call 24-hours a day, often contacting City Council members in the middle of the night to update them with breaking news.
The relentless pace of the job was rewarding, she says, but now it's time to leave.
"I'm moving on to another chapter in my life," said Gordon. "I'm not retiring, I'm just taking time off to do some writing and tend to my garden."
She says that one of the things she looks forward to the most is having time to read fiction. John Grisham is her favorite author, and she enjoys reading murder mysteries and legal thrillers.
Gordon also plans to spend more time with her family. She has two children who are in college. Her son studies business at Newport University and her daughter studies interior design at Northern Virginia Community College. She also plans to travel with her husband.
"I imagine that we'll go anywhere and everywhere," she said.
GORDON, ORIGINALLY from Broken Bow, Neb., graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska in 1978. She has worked for the Fairfax Globe, the Washington Star and the Fairfax Journal.
For nine years, she was the public information officer for Falls Church City. After leaving that position, she became the deputy director of public affairs for Fairfax County. Then she returned to Falls Church to be the assistant to the city manager. In 1999, she returned to Falls Church to work for the Chamber of Commerce. Then, on July 16, 2001, she began working as the public information officer for Alexandria.
"I feel like I've seen history unfold," she said, noting how Sept. 11, 2001 changed the city. "Alexandria became a ghost town for a while. It was a scary time."
One of her major accomplishments while working for the city was the creation "FYI Alexandria," a monthly newsletter that helps to explain city government to residents. The newsletter is available in English and Spanish.
"One of the most important parts of this job is helping citizens know what their government is doing," she said. "And so I'm very proud that I was able to help start 'FYI Alexandria.'"
GORDON'S INTERACTION with other city employees made her a valuable asset in the often rough-and-tumble world of city politics.
"She really helped me learn the ropes and show me how things happened in the city," said Amy Carlini, executive director of information and outreach for Alexandria City Public Schools. Carlini was hired for this position earlier this year, and says that Gordon's advice was critical to helping her get through those first few months. "I don't know what I would have done without her help and guidance."
Among the city's communications employees, Gordon is admired and respected.
"She's been tremendous to work with, and she has really encouraged communication of PIOs within the city," said Amy Bertsch, noting that she initiated a monthly meeting of communications staff within the city. "We're really lucky to have her as long as we did. Can we talk her into staying?"
Bertsch was not the only one in the city to regret losing such a key player in city government.
"She brought a level of professionalism to her job, and we're really sad to see her go," said City Councilwoman Del Pepper. "It's a great loss, and I wish we could clone her."
Over the years, Pepper and other City Council members would often get late-night phones calls from Gordon, who would update city leaders on crisis situations like violent crime or dangerous weather. Being the bearer of bad news isn't easy, but City Council members say that she brought a coolheaded tranquillity to chaotic situations.
"When you get that after-hours call from Barbara, you know that there's a crisis," said Pepper, noting that Gordon remained calm and professional during difficult situations. "I was often in a state of alarm, but she was on top of things and would tell you the facts in a very straightforward way without giving you opinion or conjecture. It's going to be hard to replace her because she was really on top of things."