Gary R. Lindberg is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in U.S. history during the hectic days of the Free Speech Movement. He responded to Director Sargent Shriver's call to volunteer. However, after graduation, before being drafted, he started to apply for the Air Force until he received his invitation to join the Peace Corps. After his service, he entered the Navy instead of accepting his draft notice, went to San Francisco State University to get his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree with a concentration in Management and Personnel, and began a forty-three-year career in human resources. He retired in November 2019 to pursue personal interests.