DELAWARE - Gov. Matt Meyer announced Monday that Brigadier General Karen A. Berry has been nominated to serve as the first Cabinet Secretary of the newly created Delaware Department of Veterans Affairs.
The department, established earlier this month through House Bill 1, elevates veterans’ services to a cabinet-level agency for the first time in state history. It will centralize and expand support for more than 70,000 veterans across Delaware, including benefits assistance, housing support, healthcare coordination and mental health services according to the governor.
“General Berry is the leader Delaware veterans deserve,” said Governor Meyer. “She has worn the uniform, commanded with distinction at home and abroad, and dedicated her civilian career to education and service. Her lived experience, her leadership, and her lifelong commitment to veterans make her the ideal person to launch this new department. Delaware veterans will now have one of their own advocating for them at the cabinet table, and I look forward to her confirmation by the Delaware State Senate.”
Berry retired from the Delaware National Guard in 2023 after more than 30 years of service. Her career included deployments to Afghanistan and command roles with the 261st Signal Brigade and the 335th Signal Command. She also served as Director of the Joint Staff for both the Delaware and Connecticut National Guards. Her military awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Delaware Conspicuous Service Cross.
Outside of the military, Berry spent 25 years as a math teacher in Delaware schools and later worked as a Mathematics Specialist at Sussex Central High School. Since 2023, she has served as a Veterans Advocate at Delaware Technical Community College’s Owens Campus in Georgetown.
“I am humbled and honored by this nomination,” said Brigadier General Karen Berry. “Delaware’s veterans have given so much to our state and our nation. As Secretary of Veterans Affairs, I will work every day to ensure they receive the care, respect, and opportunities they have earned. This department is a promise kept — and I look forward to serving those who served us.”
If confirmed by the state Senate, Berry will oversee the department’s transition from the Department of State, with full independence expected by July 1, 2030.