Judge / Executive Bio
Judge/Executive Harry L. Berry
Phone: 270-765-2350
Judge Berry began his third 4-year term in office on January 3rd, 2011 as Hardin County’s first Republican Judge/Executive. His vision for Hardin County continues to be one of fiscal responsibility and first-rate public services worthy of the Commonwealth's 4th largest county. His focus is on improving the county's services and infrastructure while providing sound fiscal management of our resources.
Judge Berry retired from active military service as a Regular Army (RA) Lieutenant Colonel in 1998. While serving for twenty years as an Army Corps of Engineer officer, he obtained a wide variety of experience in civil engineering and construction, environmental clean-up, law enforcement, leadership, and fiscal management.
In addition to the customary troop leading positions normally associated with a twenty year Army career, Judge Berry also served in several positions providing him unique experiences that serve him well as our County Judge/Executive. These positions include:
- Two years as a construction project manager for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where he coordinated multimillion dollar projects involving renovations and new construction for facilities supporting state-of-the-art imagery, electronic, and mechanical equipment under sensitive and highly classified circumstances.
- Three years as the Environmental Engineer for the Defense Nuclear Agency with responsibility for environmental issues at many DoD facilities across the Nation and in the Pacific. During this assignment, Judge Berry worked on permitting and compliance issues for numerous projects from waste water treatment, water production, hazardous waste storage and disposal, chemical weapons waste storage and destruction (similar to that at the Bluegrass Depot), and environmentally contaminated site restoration.
- Two years as Chief of the Department of Defense's North Central Counter-drug Team responsible for the coordination, resourcing, and execution of all Department of Defense assistance provided to Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies throughout a 37 state area in support of their counter-drug efforts. Agencies supported included the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, DEA, Border Patrol, Customs, Marshals Service, National Park Service, Forest Service and several High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTAs).
- Two years at the Pentagon as the Operations Officer for the Army's Chief of Engineers. This assignment provided him in-depth knowledge in worldwide civil and military engineering issues related to force development, government operations, training, and disaster relief.
Judge Berry graduated from Missouri Southern State College, in Joplin, MO with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1978 and subsequently obtained his MBA in 1981 from Drury College in Springfield, Missouri. He is also a graduate of the United States Army Engineer School, Army Combined Arms and Services Staff School, Army Command and General Staff College, Air Force Command and Staff College, and the Armed Forces Staff College.
Judge Berry is married to the former Jill Baggett, a native of Madisonville, Kentucky. Jill is also retired from active duty where she served as a Medical Service Corps Officer. They have one daughter, Kathleen, 13 years old who attends Bluegrass Middle School. Judge Berry and his family worship at College Heights United Methodist Church where he serves on the Church Finance Committee and previously as a Trustee.
Judge Berry serves as a Director/Trustee on a variety of Boards including:
- Chairman of the Board, Hardin Memorial Hospital
- Kentucky County Judge/Executive Association and serves on the Association's Executive and Legislative Committees
- Chairman, Radcliff/Elizabethtown Metropolitan Planning Organization
- One Knox Policy Council
- The Governor’s Jail Standards and Advisory Review Commission
- Lincoln Trail Area Development District
- Serves on the District’s Executive Committee - Lincoln Trail Health District and the Hardin County Health Department
- Elizabethtown-Hardin County and Chamber of Commerce
- Patton Museum Foundation
- Hardin County Community Foundation
- Hardin County Extension District
- Central Kentucky Community Action Council
- Elizabethtown Industrial Foundation
- Elizabethtown-Hardin County and Chamber of Commerce
Judge Berry is also a member of numerous organizations including:
- Radcliff-Hardin County Chamber of Commerce
- Vine Grove Chamber of Commerce
- Elizabethtown Lions Club
- Hardin County NAACP
- Rineyville Optimist Club
- The Military Officers Association (Ft Knox Chapter)
- The Association of the United States Army (Ft Knox Chapter)
- The Core Committee
- The Army Engineer Association
- The Disabled Veterans Association (Chapter 3 - Elizabethtown)
- The American Legion (Post 113 - Elizabethtown)
- The Veterans of Foreign Wars (Post # 10281)
- The National Sojourners (Kentucky Chapter # 134)
- Morrison Lodge # 76 (Elizabethtown)
- The Louisville Scottish Rite
- The Kosair Shrine Temple of Louisville
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