Paul Berry Running In June 20 Democratic Party Primary: Profile

RESTON, VA — When long-time Del. Ken Plum announced that he would not seek re-election to the Virginia House of Delegates in November, four Democrats put their names forward as candidates to represent the Reston area in Richmond.

Paul Berry, an educator with 20 years of experience, is running against Mary Barthelson, Shyamali Hauth, and Karen Keys-Gammara in the June 20 primary. This will determine who will be the Democratic Party candidate on the ballot in November.

Early voting for the primary got underway on May 3 and runs through June 17, which is the Saturday before the primary. More information about voting in Fairfax County is available online.

Patch invited each of the candidates in the 7th District House of Delegates race to fill out a questionnaire about their campaign. The following are Berry's responses.

Name

Paul Berry

Position Sought

Delegate, HD-7

Age (As of Election Day)

37

Campaign Website

electberry.com

Family: Names, ages and any pertinent detail you wish to share.

Wife: Carly Berry, Accountant; Son: Callan Trejo Berry, 1-year-old; Mother: Martha Berry, first-generation Mexican-American, public school teacher; Father: Matthew Berry, farmer and professional arborist.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're running for.

No.

Education

Bachelors, Brown, Math. Masters, Political Economy Univ of Geneva. Masters, UoC Public Policy.

Occupation - Please include years of experience

Educator, 20 years of experience Data Scientist, 6 years of experience

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

None elected. Several appointed. VLAB Executive Board and Chairman. Lead the Fairfax County decennial redistricting effort. New Americans Advisory Board. Governor Northam’s Health Equity Work Group and the Education Recovery Work Group during the pandemic. Part of the Fairfax County Public Schools CTEAC (Career & Technical Education Advisory Committee), on the Fairfax County Health Department MAC (Multicultural Advisory Committee), and in the past as a volunteer ESL teacher at the ADAMS Center.

Why are you seeking elective office?

I’m running for this seat because I want to build a better tomorrow. My mother is a first-generation Mexican-American. She's been a public school teacher for almost thirty years. I went to public school my entire life, and grew up on my father’s farm, learning the value of hard work. Then I was accepted to Brown University where I studied mathematics. I’m a former full-time teacher and now substitute in Fairfax County Public Schools.

I’m a member of my teacher’s union and a medical volunteer. I’m a husband and a father. My wife and I were married at Reston’s historic Lake Anne, our son was born in Reston, and I teach in FCPS schools in the district. This is home for us.

I’ve been involved in every aspect of fighting for our community. I served on the frontlines of the COVID response as a Tier 1a health volunteer deployed with the Medical Reserve Corps. Fairfax County Chairman McKay selected me to lead the decennial redistricting process for the 1.2 million residents of the county. He then asked me to continue our work to evaluate and remove the names of slaveholders from magisterial districts. I was also on the original editing team of the History standards that Youngkin is attempting to whitewash.

Because of my effective policy work and strong local advocacy for marginalized communities, Governor Northam appointed me to the Virginia Latino Advisory Board in 2018. This is the body of subject matter experts that advises the governor on policy and budget matters that affect the Latino community in Virginia. In 2020, I was elevated to a leadership position in the Office of the Governor and oversaw the policy agenda impacting nearly a million Latinos in the Commonwealth. I advised the Governor on issues that truly impact Virginians

During my time in this position, I saw first-hand the work that needs to be done to ensure that no one in Virginia is left behind. I’m even more driven to run after seeing the gaps in equity across our state. Latinos represent roughly 12% of the population. But, at COVID’s peak just a few months later, Latinos were 50% of all COVID mortalities. It was my responsibility to make recommendations to the Governor about the COVID response.

I worked with his cabinet, policy team, and with legislators to develop ideas for policy and executive action. Together, we worked to pass bills that will continue to help Virginians for years. We eliminated the 40-quarter work requirement for Medicaid eligibility, designed a mobile health clinic program to reach marginalized populations, expanded maternal health services coverage to include new Virginia residents, regardless of documentation, and much more. My work in Richmond under Governor Northam shows that I have a proven record of public service. A record that I’m ready to take to the General Assembly as our next Delegate.

I’m ready to get to work. The House of Delegates is where my professional and public service experience is most relevant. I know and have been involved with the legislative process. As Delegate, I will be focused on the kitchen-table issues: making our public schools second to none, protecting reproductive rights, bringing down inflation and cost of living, protecting our environment, expanding health insurance for children, and fighting for working families every day in Richmond.

Lastly, I am inspired to run to continue with the work that has not been completed for the Latino community: COVID has absolutely not finished with Latino Virginians the same way it has for others. While I am happy to see other communities thriving, I believe that means we should turn our collective attention to all those that are recovering, be that in health, education, housing, employment, or in mental health.

The single most pressing issue facing District 7 is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Economy/workforce development. I’ve spent years fighting for working families, especially children: in graduate school where I studied Political Economy; at the World Bank where my work helped design megacity sustainability agendas; at the Inter-American Development Bank where I worked in the Office of the Chief Economist; at AFSCME; as a member of CTEAC; and now in FEA. As the parent of a 1-year-old, I realize better than anybody that elected officials must consider what we can invest in today to maximize wealth potential tomorrow. (CTEAC website: https://www.fcps.edu/committee/career-and-technical-education-advisory-committee)

Our workforce needs to be invested in if we are to rebuild our economy after COVID-19. Virginia families are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic, and it's time to reconsider how we do business and take advantage of the opportunity to create a workforce and economy fit for the twenty-first century. This should start in the K-12 setting by aligning career pathways with education goals that help students succeed while preparing them for a fulfilling life in the industry and profession of their choosing.

Along with redesigning our higher education experience, we should collaborate with companies and educational institutions to reskill and retrain Virginians.The FCPS Superintendent recently said that 65% of Fairfax students are currently receiving an education for a job that doesn’t yet exist. We must consider this when designing the green, opportunity-rich economy of tomorrow for students. That begins with creating more robust entry points into the economy, dispelling the myth that a four-year degree is necessary to thrive in in-demand positions, and reversing the devastating COVID epidemic consequences that have driven millions of women out of the workforce.

In order to also prevent women from being forced out of the workforce by caregiving obligations, we must also seek to create an economy that supports families. Access to childcare in 2021 shouldn't be a problem for mothers, yet the numbers continually indicate that it is. This is particularly troubling for women of color who frequently perform necessary labor but only make a small portion of what their colleagues do, placing them in an unsustainable scenario where they must choose between providing for their families and putting food on the table. I'm prepared to confront these problems head-on and comprehensively.

We must mandate paid sick days and family medical leave for businesses, provide families with access to affordable daycare, quicken the transition to a $15 minimum wage, and reduce gender pay inequities. By making bold, focused investments in developing and training the workforce of the future and ensuring that individuals of all ages have the skills they need to be successful in the occupations of today and tomorrow.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I think it's fantastic that we have several candidates running for this seat. It shows that democracy is at work. I’m grateful to them for running and making this a competitive race, it's definitely pushing me to be the best candidate I can be. I definitely bring a unique perspective from my experiences in Richmond as an appointee in Governor Northam’s administration where I was first appointed in 2018 and then reappointed by the Governor in 2019. In this role I held leadership positions and undertook a process for making policy recommendations to the Governor that impacted nearly a million Virginians. Being not just involved but responsible for a part of the legislative process meant I had to listen and learn from communities and the experts serving them in health, education, environmental needs, and more. I’ll do the same as Delegate.

I’ve been deeply invested in fighting for our Fairfax community as well. I was on the frontlines of the COVID response as a member of the Medical Reserve Corps. I am a former full-time teacher and am now in our classrooms as a substitute teacher. Jeff McKay asked me to lead the effort to eliminate the names of slaveholders from our districts. I know how to fight for families here in Fairfax County and I’m uniquely positioned to do this work in the House of Delegates. I have served unique public service goals and am the only candidate with direct and proven policy experience in Richmond as someone directly involved with the legislative process. That’s why two of Governor Northam’s cabinet secretaries are endorsing my campaign.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Education, the environment, reproductive rights, and gun violence prevention. On education: As an educator and member of my teacher’s union I am best positioned of all candidates to know what schools, teachers, support staff, and kids need: higher salaries, new buildings instead of trailers, and ecologically-focused curricula that inspires young minds to create a sustainable future. Please find my detailed policy plan on Education at Education and School Equity.

On environmental issues: I am personally invested in the outcomes here, not just for myself but also for my son. I grew up on a farm and know that each 1-degree Celsius increase in global temperature reduces agricultural productivity by 5-15%. You can’t have food security if you don’t have clean water and clean air. Future generations will be safe and successful with a sustainable and forward-thinking environmental policy that promotes renewable energy, eliminates waterway and ocean contamination, and decreases carbon footprints across industries and households by expanding green technologies. Please find my detailed policy plans at Climate Change: Creating a Safe Environment for All and Clean Energy Future and Green Tech.

We need to build a Virginia that works for all people. I’m committed to fighting for social, economic, and racial reforms that will make our Commonwealth a diverse and welcoming place. We have to focus on women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, fighting racism, and building an equitable healthcare system.

We must envision Virginia as a state that protects and expands reproductive rights and access to healthcare. The right to an abortion has always been about control – who has the power to make personal decisions about their bodies, lives, families, and their future. Six unelected justices took that power away from millions of Americans. It was an awful and truly devastating decision. Virginia’s role will be defined by what the state executive and the legislative branch determine as the path forward for reproductive healthcare, and we must ensure that Roe is codified in Virginia and enshrined in the constitution.

The state, through the General Assembly, must work to expand access to reproductive healthcare, including contraception and family planning services, to ensure that individuals have the resources they need to make informed health decisions and access basic family-planning care. This is important for everyone, and I’ve advocated as an appointee in the Northam administration for increasing funding for doula and community health worker (promotores), two programs that serve the Latino and other marginalized communities. These communities consume health information in different formats, and through a unique cultural and social lens, and we need to tune our approaches to public health outcomes around that.

I’ll continue to propose these measures and those that have proven reliability for increasing health outcomes for communities that need them most. We must reverse any existing policies that restrict access to abortion or reproductive healthcare services. Virginia serves as a safe haven for abortion access and can be the guiding leader for neighboring states that still have mandatory waiting periods, parental consent laws, or TRAP laws that make it more difficult for individuals to access abortion. Abortion and reproductive rights are a fundamental human right and essential to gender equality and social justice. Virginia leaders should not only protect abortion rights but also invest in a care economy that supports our communities. By focusing on a holistic approach to reproductive rights and healthcare, we can create a society that values all individuals' wellbeing and autonomy by implementing a care economy for our communities. Our policymakers should implement policies that ensure individuals have the right to make decisions about their own bodies and have access to the healthcare they need, including abortion. Please find more information on how I champion reproductive rights here: Championing Abortion Rights in Virginia.

On gun violence prevention: ending gun violence is not just a political issue, it's a human issue. We need to prevent senseless violence. I'm committed to advocating for common-sense gun reform that protects our communities and saves lives. We must work together to build a safer, more peaceful future. We need to take quick and decisive action. Please find my detailed policy agenda on gun violence prevention at Gun Violence Prevention.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In 2018 I was appointed to the Virginia Latino Advisory Board by Governor Ralph Northam. As an appointee I made policy, budget, and executive action recommendations to the Governor. I worked with his Cabinet and his policy team to craft and create legislation, or “Governor’s Bills” that were eventually turned into law in partnership with Democratic legislators. In 2020 I was elevated to a leadership position where I set the agenda for this work, and I will continue leading with this experience on Day 1 in the General Assembly.

• Some of those bills and executive actions worked to:
• Guarantee there will be no immigration status checks in COVID-19 testing or treatment
• Increase the representation of marginalized communities in state government
• Design a mobile health clinic program to reach Latino populations
• Expand the definition of Emergency Medicaid services to include Covid-19 testing and treatment
• Secure personal protective equipment (PPE) for Virginia’s residents in a strategic marketplace
• Expand maternal health services coverage to include new Virginia residents, regardless of documentation status
• Eliminate the 40-quarter work requirement for Medicaid eligibility
• Increase the Virginia Affordable Housing Trust Fund
• Expand the eviction moratorium and pair with increases in the Rent and Mortgage Relief Program
• Prohibit garnishments for stimulus relief checks

In addition to fulfilling these duties to the Governor, he selected me for a number of workgroups: the New Americans Advisory Board; the Coronavirus Health Equity Working Group; and the Coronavirus Education Recovery Taskforce.

Here in our shared community I have held leadership positions over public service projects that continue to impact all Fairfax residents today: I was selected by Chairman McKay to lead the Redistricting Advisory Committee, a process that reshaped the political districts of the county and sets the way communities will be represented for the next decade. I was asked to continue my service by leading the process to evaluate and make recommendations for removing the names of slaveholders from magisterial districts.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

I had the opportunity to full-time teach and fulfill an administrative role at an all-girls boarding school during the period between my first and second graduate school programs. The unique feature of this school, SOLA, is that at the time it was located in Kabul. After arriving in Afghanistan I was the only teacher at the school. It was my responsibility to mentor, educate, and support the emotional and social growth of over 40 young Afghan women who had an unwavering commitment to getting an education and helping rebuild their country and communities.

They didn’t give me verbal advice but they absolutely taught me how to be a better, more appreciative person: these young women left their home provinces to live in a school with a foreign, Western man without any family members present: an incredible act for any young student. But in conflict-stricken Afghanistan where getting an education meant putting themselves in physical danger from terrorism - not to mention the cultural and social stigma they risked from their friends and family - their bravery, dedication, and vision served as an inspiration to me then as it does now. I am still in touch with many of these incredible young women who are still fighting for women’s education, rights, and place in this world as equals who will make incredible contributions for future generations. SOLA is pashto for “peace”, and stands for School of Leadership, Afghanistan. Their leadership is the truest example and advice I’ve ever experienced.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I’m ready to get to work for the people of the 7th district. I’m running for the House of Delegates because I want to build a better tomorrow. I will be focused on the kitchen-table issues: making our public schools second to none, protecting reproductive rights, bringing down cost of living, protecting our environment, expanding health insurance for children. I promise to always have an open-door policy, and truly be the people’s champion.

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