Cherie K. Berry
Encyclopedia
Cherie Killian Berry is the current North Carolina Commissioner of Labor
, a member of the North Carolina Council of State
and head of the North Carolina Department of Labor.
Berry was born in Newton, North Carolina
and owned a spark plug
manufacturing business in Catawba County, North Carolina
. A businesswoman, Berry served in the North Carolina House of Representatives
from 1993 to 2000, where she chaired the commerce committee. In November 2000, she was elected state labor commissioner, the first woman to hold the post. A Republican, (the only Republican on the Council of State between 2001 and 2005), she bested Democrat Wayne Goodwin
to win a second term in the 2004 statewide elections. Berry narrowly defeated Mary Fant Donnan
to keep her seat in the 2008 election.
Berry was criticized in a newspaper report on poultry plant oversight. Berry's fundraising has also been called into question by the Charlotte Observer.
North Carolina Commissioner of Labor
The Commissioner of Labor of North Carolina is the head of the state's Department of Labor.The Constitution of North Carolina provides for the election by the people every four years of a Commissioner of Labor whose term of office runs concurrently with that of the governor...
, a member of the North Carolina Council of State
North Carolina Council of State
The Council of State is a group of popularly elected executive offices in North Carolina, USA. It is separate from the North Carolina Cabinet, which is appointed by the Governor of North Carolina, and makes up the rest of the executive leadership of the government...
and head of the North Carolina Department of Labor.
Berry was born in Newton, North Carolina
Newton, North Carolina
Newton is a city located in Catawba County, North Carolina. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 12,560. It is the county seat of Catawba County.Newton is part of the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton Metropolitan Statistical Area....
and owned a spark plug
Spark plug
A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites compressed fuels such as aerosol, gasoline, ethanol, and liquefied petroleum gas by means of an electric spark.Spark plugs have an insulated central electrode which is connected by...
manufacturing business in Catawba County, North Carolina
Catawba County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 160,000 people, 55,533 households, and 39,095 families residing in the county. The population density was 354 people per square mile . There were 59,919 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile...
. A businesswoman, Berry served in the North Carolina House of Representatives
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
from 1993 to 2000, where she chaired the commerce committee. In November 2000, she was elected state labor commissioner, the first woman to hold the post. A Republican, (the only Republican on the Council of State between 2001 and 2005), she bested Democrat Wayne Goodwin
Wayne Goodwin
George Wayne Goodwin was elected North Carolina Commissioner of Insurance in the 2008 election. Goodwin previously served as a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's sixty-eighth House district, including constituents in Richmond and Stanly counties...
to win a second term in the 2004 statewide elections. Berry narrowly defeated Mary Fant Donnan
Mary Fant Donnan
Mary Fant Donnan was the Democratic nominee for North Carolina Commissioner of Labor in the 2008 election.Donnan is a graduate of Davidson College and of the University of Adelaide. Prior to attending Davidson College, Mary was President of the Young Republicans Club at Independence High School,...
to keep her seat in the 2008 election.
Berry was criticized in a newspaper report on poultry plant oversight. Berry's fundraising has also been called into question by the Charlotte Observer.