November 2006

Spotlight on Staff: Val Berry

Chief Human Resources Officer Val Berry joined GW in September.

By Zak M. Salih

Strike up a conversation with Chief Human Resources Officer Val Berry and you’re bound to be rewarded with a smile and chuckle. Berry, who started at GW on Sept. 1, oversees all the University’s human resources functions—including training and development, employee relations, and Colonial Community—in a new position designed to bring more strategic focus to the department.

A native of the Bronx, N.Y., Berry comes to GW after serving at Western Washington University, Florida International University, and Columbia University.

Q: What do you like most about working in Washington, D.C.?

A: I like the diversity of the area, its pulse and beat. It’s a very vibrant, throbbing kind of place, and it is exciting to be in the nation’s capital.

Q: What is it like being the first person in a newly created position?

A: While it’s a new position, I’m not new to the business of human resources. In terms of the area of human resources, this is my 25th year of practice, and I’ve been in senior leadership roles since 1995.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?

A: I’m an avid boater; a fisherman for the most part. I’m excited about getting out on the Chesapeake Bay, but haven’t done it yet. I’m the father of four children—ranging in age from six to 21—so that’s a career all by itself. I’m frequently quoted as saying I’ve done the first grade five times.

Q: What kind of books do you like to read?

A: I’m a bit of a history buff, so I tend to read lots of historical fiction, anything from James Michener to Bernard Cornwell. I’ve been reading Cornwell’s series on the European wars, which has been entertaining. Around New Year’s, I set a goal
of reading 20 non-professional books this year. I’m now on the 18th, so I’m getting there. Riding the Metro back and forth to work certainly gives me a chance to catch up on my reading.

Q: Describe a vivid childhood memory.

A: Getting lost in the Smithsonian the first time I came to D.C. as a kid. I was at the American History Museum studying the famous painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware. I was taken by the picture, and I got distracted—George Washington standing up in a rowboat didn’t make sense to me. The people on the tour were much more worried about it than I was.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to?

A: I’m a jazz nut. I like the whole genre—it’s the one art form that is wholly American. I’ve grown up around it, and it’s been a big part of my life.

Q: How do you de-stress after a bad day?

A: I don’t have bad days. I’m pretty easy going and I laugh constantly—you’ll be able to hear me, I’m sure, all the way throughout K Street. I play racquetball when I get the opportunity and that’s a great de-stresser, although I don’t get to play as often as I would like.

Q: If you could have your beverage of choice with one person, living or dead, who would it be?

A: I’d have a cup of coffee with William Safire. His talk about language and the development of language and how words have filtered into the vocabulary is something I’ve always enjoyed. I’m a loyal reader of his column in The New
York Times.

To nominate a co-worker for “Spotlight on Staff,” e-mail bygeorge@gwu.edu.

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