DELAWARE- Retired Brigadier General Karen Berry was sworn in Wednesday as Delaware’s first Cabinet-level Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Berry, who served more than 30 years in the Delaware National Guard, takes on the role as the state begins shifting veterans’ programs into a new, stand-alone department. Lawmakers created the agency earlier this year when Gov. Matt Meyer signed House Bill 1.
The new Department of Veterans Affairs will oversee services for more than 70,000 veterans across the state, including benefits assistance, housing support and healthcare coordination. Until 2030, the department will remain under the Department of State while a transition plan is finalized.
“It is the honor of my lifetime to serve as Delaware’s first Secretary of Veterans Affairs,” Berry said during the ceremony at the Delaware Veterans Home in Milford. “Too often, veterans feel like their voices go unheard or they don’t know where to turn for the benefits and services they have earned. My commitment is to change that.”
Berry was commissioned in 1990 and went on to serve more than three decades in the Delaware and Connecticut National Guards. (Photo: State of Delaware)
Berry retired in 2023 as Director of the Joint Staff for the Delaware and Connecticut National Guards. She previously deployed to Afghanistan and has received multiple awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.
State officials and veterans’ leaders praised her appointment, saying her military background and leadership experience will help guide the department through its first years.
Gov. Meyer said the creation of a cabinet-level veterans’ department “reflects the respect and gratitude we owe to every Delaware veteran.”