My name is Cary Clayborn and I am a manager with AVI Systems, the 4th largest Audiovisual Systems integrator in the United States. I enjoy serving our clients by designing and implementing upgrades that will help them adapt their conferencing systems to align more with today’s virtual needs. That’s my day job …. but whether you knew it was me or not, around Buford you may be more familiar with my VOICE as I serve as the stadium “Voice Of The Wolves” for Buford High School Varsity Football games on Friday nights, and have been announcing youth league football games and recording Youth Cheerleader announcements in Buford for almost 10 years on Saturdays in the fall. It’s something I love to do, and am extremely honored to serve Buford in that way. I told my wife after I announced my first youth football game in Buford 10 years ago, that I wanted to be in the press box at Tom Riden Stadium for Friday night football one day …. and I made it.
I grew up heavily involved in music, love to sing & play piano, and studied Vocal performance in college. My family and I love to travel and we try to “get away” as a family as often as our schedules and our budget will allow.
We are members of Ivy Creek Baptist Church, where I sing with our choir, and we are so thankful to have found this church family.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
My family is my ‘everything’. My wife and I are both originally from Gwinnett County, along with our parents … and their parents … and so on. We both grew up in nearby Duluth and graduated from Duluth High School. My wife teaches at Buford Senior Academy and we have two amazing daughters named Anna Belle, age 14, and Addison, age 9, who attend Buford Middle and Buford Academy, respectfully.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
My first “real” job was in videography working for a small video production company in south Georgia, but when I wanted to move back to this area 17 years ago, I got a job in Audiovisual integration thinking it would be a short-term solution. But here I am all these years later still at it. My favorite part of my current role, one that I’ve been in for 9 years now, is that every day is different. I wear a lot of hats, so to speak, and one day I am designing and proposing AV upgrades for a client, then the next day I may be out on site project managing the physical installation of a completely different upgrade for another client. There is no monotony in my job and I love it.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Aurelio’s Mexican Restaurant has quickly climbed our list of favorites. If my wife and I want a ‘date night’, it’s tough to beat Bare Bones or Aqua Terra Bistro in downtown!
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
When my wife was hired on at Buford City Schools 10 years ago, we pretty much jumped in with both feet and have been ‘all in’ with Buford ever since.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
The two men I’ve worked with most while announcing Buford Youth Football games. Ken Burge & Gary Dasher. Two men who love Buford, and that I can joke and laugh with when I’m around them.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
Australia. There is just so much to see there. We’ll get there one day, for sure.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
High on my list has always been “Back To The Future”. Aside from it being such a well made and funny film, I have always been fascinated by the idea of being able to go back to see my parents in High School and to know what they were like at that time in their lives.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
The days may be long, but the years go by way too fast. Even though we are all busy, you can always make time for the things you truly want to make time for.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Take an RV trip around the country visiting as many National Parks as possible along the way.
Q: What is your go to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
Marc Cohn. I’ve seen him in person 4 times and his music never gets old to me. One of the times we saw him in person, he went song by song through his first album and told all of the back stories and explained how he wrote each song, so that’s adds a new layer to his songs when I listen.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
TD Impressions. It’s wonderful to have a place downtown to find “Buford Stuff”, as my youngest calls it. Growing up in Duluth, we had a similar place called “Wildcats Unlimited” so it brings back memories.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
Bobby Cox. I want to hear all of the behind the scenes, untold stories from his time as manager of The Atlanta Braves. I think he’d be good with Burgers or Hot Dogs, so maybe “Five Guys”?
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
How Buford has managed to keep as much of a “small town feel” as possible, despite the tremendous growth all around us. When I go to the grocery store or we go out to eat in Buford, I almost always see someone that I know. It reminds me of a smaller town where everyone knew everyone.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
In 5 years? Probably crying all of the time as I think about my oldest daughter graduating from Buford High School and moving on to the next phase of her life. In 10 years? Probably crying all over again because my youngest would have just graduated.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
Although they probably wouldn’t be surprised by it, they probably didn’t know that announcing for Buford Football on Friday nights is something I have dreamed about doing for the last 10 years.
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Lake Tahoe, NV. I went there on a choir tour in college and we got to walk a trail around the edge of the lake. While we were walking, we came upon a couple getting married right there beside the lake. We quickly lined up and sang for them. They got to have a premier collegiate Chamber Choir sing at their wedding for free, and we got a memory we will never forget. But what sticks with me the most was the blue skies above the mountains that were all around that crystal clear water.
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
Favorite month? November because that is the month that my wife and I had our first date, and also the month we got married a year later. Favorite Holiday? Uhhh … You Serious, Clark? Christmas, for sure. Best day on the calendar? The day we leave for our annual trip to North Carolina to camp in the Smoky Mountains every summer. We’ve been camping there every year for almost 40 years now.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
My wife. Although we never dated until our late 20’s, we actually met on the school bus when I was in 2nd grade and she was in 1st grade. We sat together on the front seat because she was a little nervous about going to public school and riding the bus for the first time, and I was on the front seat because I was in trouble with the bus driver. haha Probably for talking too much and too loud …. a trait that has served be fairly well as an adult. She is my best friend and I thank the lord for her every day.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My two girls. I want to show them what kind of man they should one day look for as their husbands. Someone who thinks of others before themselves, and someone who will love them the way I love their mother.
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
Coffee in the morning, and a campfire. Both at the same time is even better.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Kelli, Anna, & Addison. That’s what is home to me. Wherever the four of us are, as long as we’re together … that’s home.