Councilwoman Barbara Swearengen Ware was first elected to the Memphis City Council in December 1994. She served as Chairman of the City Council for the year 2000.
Mrs. Ware, the youngest of seven children, was born and reared in the Douglass Community, graduated from Douglass High School and attended LeMoyne-Owen College and Shelby State Community College.
Mrs. Ware retired from the United States Postal Service October, 1992, after 28 years of service. She was the first black female Customer Service representative in the Memphis Post Office, a position she held for the last ten years of her postal career. Mrs. Ware, an ordained evangelist and gifted singer, is an active member of Faith Fellowship Church of God in Christ, where she serves as an evangelist and first lady and bible class teacher.
Councilwoman Ware is Chaplain and on the board of directors of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) and serves on the Public Safety Steering and Advocacy Committee of the National League of Cities (NLC). She is a graduate of the Class of 1999 Leadership Institute of Memphis.
Mrs. Ware serves on the Board of Directors of Mission Possible: COSM, Memphis Cook Convention Center, National Ornamental Metal Museum, Crichton College, and The Center City Commission and is an advisory board member of the Memphis Police Department's North Precinct Advisory Council, The Orpheum Theatre, The Salvation Army, The Memphis Housing Resource Center and the Juvenile Court Advisory Council.
Mrs. Ware is married to Elder Albert Walter Ware (March 3, 2007) She has a blended family of 5 children, Cecil David Moore, Jr.; Michael Steven Moore, Sr. Corey Ware, Donna Ware and Albernique Ware and 12 grandchildren (her pride and joy). The Theme of her life is "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6