Senate confirms Berry as OPM chief

The Senate confirmed John Berry to direct the Office of Personnel Management in a voice vote late April 2. As OPM director, Berry would  encourage more people to work for the federal government and continue the agency’s efforts to streamline the hiring process.

Most recently, Berry headed the Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park In Washington, D.C. Previously, he was assistant secretary for policy, management and budget at the Interior Department and was legislative director for Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who is currently the House majority leader.

During his confirmation hearing March 26, Berry said he wanted to make the federal government an employer of choice and use best practices for recruiting, hiring and keeping employees.

Berry will play a critical role as the federal government faces a wave of retirements, compensates for the increasingly transient nature of the workforce and attempts to recruit and retain skilled employees, said Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

“Berry has worked in the executive branch for ten years, working in high-level management positions overseeing tens of thousands of employees,” Lieberman said today in a statement. He recommended that Berry “think creatively as he considers needed civil service reforms.”