UNA Alumna Ann Berry Honored with Portrait in Alabama State Archives
Jan. 28, 2025
Michelle R. Eubanks , UNA, at meubanks@yueziqi.com, 256.765.4392
FLORENCE, AL – Ann Berry, who graduated from the University of North Alabama in 1978, is being honored by the State of Alabama with a portrait that was unveiled in the Alabama Department of Archives and History as part of a ceremony today in Montgomery. Berry was sworn in as the 34th secretary of the United States Senate on March 1, 2021; she is the first African American to serve in this position and only the eighth woman to hold the office.
“This is an exceptional honor for Mrs. Berry and highlights the incredible opportunities that await UNA graduates as they enter the workforce,” said UNA President Dr. Ken Kitts. “Her portrait in the State Archives is a testament to her life as well as the role the University of North Alabama played in helping her achieve her goals and in serving as the Secretary of the United States Senate.”
Berry first came to the Senate in 1979 and served 18 years in many positions on Senator Howell Heflin’s staff. After he retired, she worked for Senators Daniel Patrick Moynihan, John Edwards, and Tom Carper. She also led the transition team for Senator Doug Jones, and, most recently, served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Senate President Pro Tempore, Senator Patrick Leahy, who administered her oath of office as the new secretary.
Berry grew up in Birmingham and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in education from UNA. She is also an alumna of the Georgetown University Senior Executive Leadership Program.
In addition to Berry’s portrait, a portrait of Steve Alpert, fine artist, television producer, theatre producer, and writer, was also unveiled as part of Tuesday’s ceremony.
About The University of North Alabama
The University of North Alabama is an accredited, comprehensive regional state university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs through the colleges of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering; the Sanders College of Business and Technology; Education and Human Sciences; and the Anderson College of Nursing and Health Professions. Occupying a 130-acre campus in a residential section of Florence, Alabama, UNA is located within a four-city area that also includes Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia. UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of NCAA Division I as part of the Atlantic Sun and United Athletic conferences. The University of North Alabama is an equal opportunity institution and does not discriminate in the admission policy on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, disability, age, or national origin. For more: yueziqi.com and yueziqi.com/unaworks/.