Seth Berry
Encyclopedia
Seth Allan Berry is an American educator and Democratic politician from the state of Maine
. Elected in 2006, 2008, and 2010, he has served in the 123rd, 124th and 125th Maine House of Representatives
as the representative for Maine
's 67th district. In the Legislature Berry served on the committee overseeing utilities and energy policy, was elected by his Democratic peers to serve as Majority Whip for two years, and served as the lead Democrat on the committee overseeing tax policy.
on November 1, 1968. He attended high school at Phillips Academy
in Andover, Massachusetts
, during which time he interned in the Washington, D.C. congressional office for Maine's District 1 representative, John R. McKernan, Jr.
Berry attended college at Brown University
, graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor's Degree as well as a high school teacher certification. While at Brown, Berry worked closely with professors Theodore Sizer
and Arnold L. Weinstein. From 1992 to 2000, Berry taught public school in New York City
in East Harlem and Washington Heights
. During that time, he also earned his Master's Degree in Curriculum and Teaching from the Teachers College of Columbia University
.
From June 2002 to December 2006, Berry served as selectperson for the town of Bowdoinham
. He used this position to monitor town spending, promote local economic growth, advocate for long-term planning of land use, and improve local public services. He was elected Chair by fellow board members in 2004.
in November 2006. He represents the 67th District, which includes the towns of Bowdoin
, Bowdoinham
, and Richmond
, as well as the unorganized territory of Perkins Township.
As a legislator, Berry served on the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy in 2007 and 2008. He was then elected by his Democratic peers to serve as Majority Whip in 2009 and 2010. In 2010, Berry's party lost its majority and he also lost a bid to become Minority Leader. In 2011 and 2012 Berry then served as the lead Democrat on the Joint Standing Committees on Taxation, as well as the House Committee on Elections.
Berry has also served on the Maine Children's Growth Council, the 2008 Governor's Pre-Emergency Task Force, and on numerous committees of the National Council on State Legislatures.
During his time in the Maine legislature
, Berry has sponsored over two dozen successful measures. He has made sustainability a priority, passing legislation to control air pollution
, oversee nuclear waste disposal, and better fund energy efficiency efforts for Maine
homes and businesses. Berry also focused on fiscally responsible economic development, working to ensure government accountability in tax incentives and to redesign federal social security
offsets. Berry's successful bills have included enhanced consumer protections in telecommunication
rate-setting, a first-in-the-nation ban on insurance caps to protect the most vulnerable from medical bankruptcy, a first-in-the-nation bill to require extended producer responsibility
for compact fluorescent lamps, increased notification requirements for pesticide spraying, increased home visitation to assist families of at-risk infants and others, and one of the nation's first bans on the designer drugs misleadingly referred to as "bath salts."
Berry's environmental leadership earned him this praise from the Maine Conservation Voters in 2009: "The perfect combined ... score of Representatives Pingree, Piotti and Berry demonstrates the priority they place as a leadership team on policies to protect Maine’s air, land and water, to reduce our exposure to dangerous chemicals and to build a clean energy future. Pingree and Berry each sponsored significant legislation to protect human health, promote energy efficiency and advance clean energy jobs."
with his wife, Adelaida, and their two sons. He is fluent in Spanish
, and his hobbies include guitar
, sailing
, and farming.
Berry has been the recipient of several awards in his professional and political work, including New York City's Hexter Award for Excellence in Teaching, which he received in 1998. His student-centered classroom was featured in the 1999 edition of "New York City's Best Middle Schools," a guide for New York parents, highlighting his successes leading one of the only non-selective public schools listed that year. In addition, Berry received the 2007 Healthy Air Award from the Maine
chapter of the American Lung Association
, and the 2010 Prevention Award from the Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse.
Berry is a member of the Midcoast United Way Success by Six Council, the Midcoast Area ACCESS Health Board, the Merrymeeting Bay Business Association, and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators.
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. Elected in 2006, 2008, and 2010, he has served in the 123rd, 124th and 125th Maine House of Representatives
Maine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state. Each voting member of the House represents around 8,450 citizens of the state...
as the representative for Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
's 67th district. In the Legislature Berry served on the committee overseeing utilities and energy policy, was elected by his Democratic peers to serve as Majority Whip for two years, and served as the lead Democrat on the committee overseeing tax policy.
Early life and career
Berry was born in Bowdoinham, MaineBowdoinham, Maine
Bowdoinham is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,612 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town is located on the west side of Merrymeeting Bay.-History:Fort Richmond was...
on November 1, 1968. He attended high school at Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
in Andover, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
, during which time he interned in the Washington, D.C. congressional office for Maine's District 1 representative, John R. McKernan, Jr.
John R. McKernan, Jr.
John Rettie "Jock" McKernan, Jr. is an American politician who served two terms as the 71st Governor of Maine, from 1987 to 1995....
Berry attended college at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor's Degree as well as a high school teacher certification. While at Brown, Berry worked closely with professors Theodore Sizer
Ted Sizer
Theodore Ryland Sizer was a leader of educational reform in the United States, the founder of the Essential school movement and was known for challenging longstanding practices and assumptions about the functioning of American secondary schools...
and Arnold L. Weinstein. From 1992 to 2000, Berry taught public school in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in East Harlem and Washington Heights
Washington Heights, Manhattan
Washington Heights is a New York City neighborhood in the northern reaches of the borough of Manhattan. It is named for Fort Washington, a fortification constructed at the highest point on Manhattan island by Continental Army troops during the American Revolutionary War, to defend the area from the...
. During that time, he also earned his Master's Degree in Curriculum and Teaching from the Teachers College of Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University
Teachers College, Columbia University is a graduate school of education located in New York City, New York...
.
From June 2002 to December 2006, Berry served as selectperson for the town of Bowdoinham
Bowdoinham, Maine
Bowdoinham is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,612 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town is located on the west side of Merrymeeting Bay.-History:Fort Richmond was...
. He used this position to monitor town spending, promote local economic growth, advocate for long-term planning of land use, and improve local public services. He was elected Chair by fellow board members in 2004.
Maine House of Representatives
Berry was elected to the Maine House of RepresentativesMaine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state. Each voting member of the House represents around 8,450 citizens of the state...
in November 2006. He represents the 67th District, which includes the towns of Bowdoin
Bowdoin, Maine
Bowdoin is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,727 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
, Bowdoinham
Bowdoinham, Maine
Bowdoinham is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,612 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town is located on the west side of Merrymeeting Bay.-History:Fort Richmond was...
, and Richmond
Richmond, Maine
Richmond is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,298 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
, as well as the unorganized territory of Perkins Township.
As a legislator, Berry served on the Joint Standing Committee on Utilities and Energy in 2007 and 2008. He was then elected by his Democratic peers to serve as Majority Whip in 2009 and 2010. In 2010, Berry's party lost its majority and he also lost a bid to become Minority Leader. In 2011 and 2012 Berry then served as the lead Democrat on the Joint Standing Committees on Taxation, as well as the House Committee on Elections.
Berry has also served on the Maine Children's Growth Council, the 2008 Governor's Pre-Emergency Task Force, and on numerous committees of the National Council on State Legislatures.
During his time in the Maine legislature
Maine House of Representatives
The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 members representing an equal amount of districts across the state. Each voting member of the House represents around 8,450 citizens of the state...
, Berry has sponsored over two dozen successful measures. He has made sustainability a priority, passing legislation to control air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
, oversee nuclear waste disposal, and better fund energy efficiency efforts for Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
homes and businesses. Berry also focused on fiscally responsible economic development, working to ensure government accountability in tax incentives and to redesign federal social security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
offsets. Berry's successful bills have included enhanced consumer protections in telecommunication
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
rate-setting, a first-in-the-nation ban on insurance caps to protect the most vulnerable from medical bankruptcy, a first-in-the-nation bill to require extended producer responsibility
Extended producer responsibility
Extended producer responsibility is a strategy designed to promote the integration of environmental costs associated with goods throughout their life cycles into the market price of the products.- Definition :...
for compact fluorescent lamps, increased notification requirements for pesticide spraying, increased home visitation to assist families of at-risk infants and others, and one of the nation's first bans on the designer drugs misleadingly referred to as "bath salts."
Berry's environmental leadership earned him this praise from the Maine Conservation Voters in 2009: "The perfect combined ... score of Representatives Pingree, Piotti and Berry demonstrates the priority they place as a leadership team on policies to protect Maine’s air, land and water, to reduce our exposure to dangerous chemicals and to build a clean energy future. Pingree and Berry each sponsored significant legislation to protect human health, promote energy efficiency and advance clean energy jobs."
Personal life
Berry currently lives in BowdoinhamBowdoinham, Maine
Bowdoinham is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,612 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town is located on the west side of Merrymeeting Bay.-History:Fort Richmond was...
with his wife, Adelaida, and their two sons. He is fluent in Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, and his hobbies include guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, and farming.
Berry has been the recipient of several awards in his professional and political work, including New York City's Hexter Award for Excellence in Teaching, which he received in 1998. His student-centered classroom was featured in the 1999 edition of "New York City's Best Middle Schools," a guide for New York parents, highlighting his successes leading one of the only non-selective public schools listed that year. In addition, Berry received the 2007 Healthy Air Award from the Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
chapter of the American Lung Association
American Lung Association
The American Lung Association is a voluntary health organization whose mission is to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease.-History:...
, and the 2010 Prevention Award from the Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse.
Berry is a member of the Midcoast United Way Success by Six Council, the Midcoast Area ACCESS Health Board, the Merrymeeting Bay Business Association, and the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators.