George J. Berry was born in Blairsville, Georgia, on July 5, 1937 and attended Young Harris College. Upon discharge from the U. S. Army in 1962, he worked in the finance department of the city of Atlanta. Berry was chosen to be the deputy chief administrative officer in Mayor Ivan Allen's administration. Mayor Sam Massell promoted him to chief administrative officer during the desegregation of Atlanta's civic leadership. Under Mayor Maynard Jackson, Berry was appointed Commissioner of Aviation in 1978. There, he oversaw the development of terminals and runways at the Atlanta Airport. In 1983, Berry became the Commissioner of Industry, Trade and Tourism for the state of Georgia. He remained in that position until 1990, when he ran an unsuccessful campaigne for lieutenant governor against Pierre Howard. He left politics and became senior vice president of Cousins Properties, Inc., a successful property development firm in Atlanta. He retired in 2004, and remains on the boards of several business organizations.
From the description of George J. Berry Collection of Photographs, 1968. (University of Georgia). WorldCat record id: 645232890
