John Berry (ambassador)

John Berry
United States Ambassador to Australia
In office
September 25, 2013 – September 20, 2016
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byJeff Bleich
Succeeded byArthur B. Culvahouse Jr.
Director of the Office of Personnel Management
In office
April 13, 2009 – April 13, 2013
PresidentBarack Obama
Preceded byKathie Whipple (Acting)
Succeeded byElaine Kaplan (Acting)
Director of the National Zoological Park
In office
October 1, 2005 – April 13, 2009
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
Barack Obama
Preceded byLucy Spelman
Succeeded bySteven Monfort (Acting)[1]
Director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
In office
2000–2005
PresidentBill Clinton
George W. Bush
Preceded byAmos Eno
Succeeded byJeff Trandahl
Personal details
Born
Morrell John Berry

(1959-02-10) February 10, 1959 (age 65)
Rockville, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseCurtis Yee
EducationUniversity of Maryland, College Park (BA)
Syracuse University (MPA)

Morrell John Berry[2] (born 1959) is an American former government official who was named President of the American Australian Association in 2016.[3] Berry was director of the United States Office of Personnel Management from 2009 to 2013 and United States Ambassador to Australia from 2013 to 2016.

Berry was born in Maryland, to parents who worked for the federal government. He completed degrees at 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 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. In June 2013, President Obama nominated Berry to replace Jeff Bleich as U.S. Ambassador to Australia. He was confirmed by unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate in August 2013.[4]

  1. ^ "Steven L. Monfort Named Acting Director of the National Zoo" (Press release). National Zoological Park. 2009. Archived from the original on July 20, 2009. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  2. ^ "Nomination disclosure form" (PDF). National Journal. March 26, 2009. Retrieved March 29, 2009.
  3. ^ "American Australian Association Announces Amb. John Berry as New President" (Press release). New York, NY and Sydney, Australia: American Australian Association. June 9, 2016. Archived from the original on December 26, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference australian was invoked but never defined (see the help page).