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John Berry (ambassador)

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This article is about the administrator. For other uses, see John Berry.
John Berry
Director of the United States Office of Personnel Management
Assumed office
April 13, 2009[1]
DeputyChristine Griffin (nominee)
Preceded byKathie Ann Whipple[2]
Personal details
Born
Morrell John Berry[3]

(1959-02-10) February 10, 1959 (age 65)
Template:City-state
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Maryland (B.A., 1980), Syracuse University (M.P.A., 1981)
WebsiteJohn Berry Biography

Morrell John Berry (born February 10, 1959) is an American administrator and director of the United States Office of Personnel Management.

Berry was born in Montgomery County, Maryland, to parents who worked for the federal government. He gained degrees from the University of Maryland and Syracuse University and worked in local government and as a legislative aide in state government from 1982 to 1985. From 1985 to 1994, he worked as legislative director for U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer. He held posts in the U.S. Treasury Department, the Smithsonian Institution, and the U.S. Department of the Interior until 2000, and worked as director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Smithsonian National Zoological Park until 2009, when he was nominated by President Barack Obama as director of the United States Office of Personnel Management. Berry took office after being confirmed by the United States Senate in April 2009, becoming the highest-ranking openly gay official to serve in the executive branch of the federal government.

Early life and education

Berry was born February 10, 1959, in Rockville, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States.[3][4] His father served in the U.S. Marine Corps, his mother worked for the U.S. Census Bureau, and he has a brother and a sister.[5] Berry graduated from high school in 1977 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in government and politics from the University of Maryland in 1980.[3] In 1981, Berry graduated with a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University.[3]

Career

Berry served in management for the Montgomery County government from 1982 to 1984 and as staff director of the Maryland Senate Finance Committee from 1984 to 1985.[3] From 1985 to 1994, he was legislative director for U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer, and associate staffer on the House Appropriations Committee.[3][6] Berry assisted Hoyer on employment issues of the federal government, and played a leading role in negotiations that led to the Federal Employees Pay Comparability Act of 1990, which established the locality pay system.[7][8] From 1994 to 1995, Berry served as Deputy Assistant Secretary and acting Assistant Secretary for Law Enforcement in the U.S. Treasury Department.[2][3] From 1995 to 1997, Berry worked as director of government relations and as senior policy advisor at the Smithsonian Institution, and was subsequently appointed Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget at the U.S. Department of the Interior during the Clinton administration, serving from 1997 to 2001.[3][6]

At the Interior Department, Berry improved credit union and continuing education options, oversaw the expansion of department programs to improve employees' work-life balance, and held town hall meetings with Interior employees and used their suggestions to upgrade a cafeteria and health center.[8] These changes were partly funded through partnerships with federal employees, unions and other agencies to reduce costs for the department.[8] Berry worked to create a complaint procedure for employees who experience discrimination because of their sexual orientation, to expand relocation benefits and counseling services to domestic partners of employees, to establish a liaison to gay and lesbian workers, and to eliminate discriminatory provisions of the National Park Service's law enforcement standards.[9] He helped establish an office supply store for Interior employees, which he staffed with disabled workers.[8] Berry oversaw one of the largest budgetary increases in the department's history.[2]

In 2000, Berry became director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, where he worked with Interior Inspector General Earl Devaney to reconcile twenty years of financial records, improve management, and conserve wildlife habitat through public-private partnerships.[2][3] Berry was appointed in 2005 to serve as director of the Smithsonian Zoological Park, which had been found to have shortcomings in record keeping and maintenance.[10] Berry created a strategic planning and modernization process for the zoo.[8] This included a twenty year capital plan, securing $35 million in funding to provide for fire protection, and beginning renovations to animal houses.[2]

Office of Personnel Management

Berry greeting employees at OPM headquarters on his first day as agency director

In 2008, Berry was mentioned as a possible nominee for U.S. Secretary of the Interior, a position obtained by Ken Salazar.[11][12] President Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Berry as director of the Office of Personnel Management on March 3, 2009,[7] and did so March 4.[13] The nomination hearing before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on March 26, 2009, lead to expectation of easy confirmation for Berry, despite opposition from conservative activists based on Berry's homosexuality.[4][5] In the hearing Berry stated he supported any effective employee compensation system, but that the federal government had the obligation to give employees with comparable job performances similar pay and treatment.[14] He pledged to preserve veterans preference and supplement it with training programs to prepare veterans for federal jobs, and promised reviews of proposals to improve the security clearance and hiring processes.[14] Berry emphasized the importance for agencies to use all recruitment tools, citing relocation benefits that could keep agencies competitive with the private sector,[14] and stated he would create a strategic plan and set performance goals for the Office of Personnel Management.[14] Berry had previously stated support for benefits for same-sex partners of federal employees and a repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act.[4]

The Senate confirmed Berry on April 3, 2009,[13] and he was sworn in April 13 as the first agency director in the Obama administration with all senior staff in place.[1] The ceremonial swearing in on April 23 was attended by First Lady Michelle Obama.[15] Berry is, according to the Human Rights Campaign, the highest-ranking openly gay official to serve in the executive branch in any administration.[9] He lives in Washington, D.C.[13] and has a partner of over a decade, Curtis Yee.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b O'Keefe, Ed (2009-04-14). "John Berry Gets to Work". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Obama Names New FCC, OPM Directors". National Journal. 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2009-04-15.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Nomination disclosure form" (PDF). National Journal. 2009-03-26. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  4. ^ a b c Wechsler, Pat (2009-03-20). "Gay Obama Nominee Succeeds as Values Turn on Rescuing Families". Bloomberg Television. Retrieved 2009-03-20. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  5. ^ a b O'Keefe, Ed (2009-03-26). "Berry Sails Through Confirmation Hearing". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  6. ^ a b O'Keefe, Ed (2009-01-13). "Likely OPM Director Earns Rave Reviews". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
  7. ^ a b O'Keefe, Ed (2009-03-03). "Zoo Director to Head Office of Personnel Management". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
  8. ^ a b c d e Rosenberg, Alyssa (2009-01-13). "Zoo chief could be named OPM director soon". National Journal. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  9. ^ a b Rosenberg, Alyssa (2009-03-03). "John Berry named OPM director". National Journal. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  10. ^ Olson, Elizabeth (2005-07-29). "National Briefing - Washington: New Director For National Zoo". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-11.
  11. ^ Sidoti, Liz (2008-12-11). "Obama chooses team for energy, the environment". Associated Press. The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2009-04-15. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Ken Salazar Confirmed as 50th Secretary of the Interior" (Press release). United States Department of the Interior. 2009-01-20. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  13. ^ a b c "John Berry Confirmed As OPM Director" (Press release). United States Office of Personnel Management. 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  14. ^ a b c d Rosenberg, Alyssa (2009-03-26). "Personnel pick remains flexible on pay-for-performance systems". National Journal. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  15. ^ O'Keefe, Ed (2009-04-23). "Michelle Obama Visits, John Berry Sworn In at OPM". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-04-24.

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