Andy Berke

Andy Berke
73rd Mayor of Chattanooga
Assumed office
April 15, 2013
Preceded by Ron Littlefield
Member of the Tennessee Senate
from the 10th district
In office
2007–2012
Preceded by Ward Crutchfield
Succeeded by Todd Gardenhire
Personal details
Born Andrew Lawrence Berke
(1968-03-31) March 31, 1968
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Monique Prado
Residence Chattanooga, Tennessee
Alma mater

Baylor School
Stanford University

University of Chicago Law School
Profession Attorney
Religion Jewish[1]

Andrew Lawrence Berke (born March 31, 1968) is an American attorney and Tennessee politician. He is the current Mayor of Chattanooga. He is a member of the Democratic Party and represented Hamilton and Marion counties in the 10th District as State Senator from 2007 to 2012. On March 5, 2013, Andy Berke became Chattanooga's Mayor Elect, and was inaugurated on April 15, 2013.[2]

Berke was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to Marvin and Karen Berke. He has one sister, Julie. He attended the Baylor School in Chattanooga where he was a standout tennis player, and Stanford University where he met his wife, Monique. Mayor Berke currently lives in Chattanooga with his wife and their two daughters, Hannah and Orly.

Education and career

After graduating from Baylor School, a Chattanooga boarding high school, Andy attended Stanford University. After graduating from Stanford with honors, Berke worked as a legislative assistant for U.S. Congressman Bart Gordon.

Following his graduation from the University of Chicago Law School, he worked as a law clerk for Judge Deanell Reece Tacha of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Lawrence, Kansas. During this time he also taught at the University of Kansas School of Law as an adjunct professor.

Berke returned home to Chattanooga and was admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 1994. He joined his family law practice in Chattanooga, which was founded in 1934 by his grandfather, the late Harry Berke.

Public office

Berke entered a 2007 special election to replace longtime state senator Ward Crutchfield and defeated Republican Oscar Brock, son of former U.S. Senator Bill Brock, with 63% to Brock's 37%. He was sworn into the Tennessee Senate on November 21, 2007. During the 105th General Assembly, Berke served as the secretary of the Senate Education Committee and as a member of the Senate Transportation Committee.

2008 Re-election

Berke won re-election on November 4, 2008 by defeating Republican Oscar Brock. He received over 70% of the vote. As a member of the 106th General Assembly, Senator Berke served as the secretary of the Senate Education Committee and as a member of the Senate Transportation committee. On November 24, 2008, Senator Berke was elected as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

2012–2013 Chattanooga City Mayoral campaign

On May 8, 2012 Berke officially announced he was running for Mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee.[3] Berke became Chattanooga's Mayor Elect on March 5, 2013, and was inaugurated on April 15, 2013.[2]

2013 – present First Mayoral Term

During Berke's first term, Chattanooga's unemployment rate dropped to 4.1%, a nine year low.[4] On July 14, 2014, Berke joined other local and state officials to announce the Volkswagen Crossblue would be manufactured in Chattanooga, resulting in over 2,000 new jobs for residents.[5] In addition to a boom of manufacturing jobs, Chattanooga's 10 Gigabit fiber optic infrastructure helped fuel wage growth,[6] resulting in the third fastest wage growth in the country for a medium-sized metro area.[7]

On January 14, 2015, Berke established an Innovation District, making Chattanooga the first mid-sized city with an innovation district.[8] Since that time, Chattanooga's Innovation District has been a catalyst for change in the city's downtown, resulting in $700 million in new retail, office and residential space.[9]

Six months after the launch of the Innovation District, four Marines and a sailor were killed during a terror-inspired attack in Chattanooga. In the hours to follow, Berke called the incident a "nightmare for the city of Chattanooga" and pledged all available resources to aid the FBI in its investigation.[10] Because of his leadership during and following the attack, Berke was invited to lead the U.S. delegation at the first annual Strong Cities Network Global Summit held in Antalya, Turkey, on May 11, 2016.[11]

The creation of an Innovation District and his response to the July 16 attack were both cited as factors in Berke's recognition as American City & County's 2015 Municipal Leader of the Year.[12] On December 15, 2015, Berke was recognized by OZY.com as a Rising Star, citing Chattanooga's technology boom as the major factor in the city's turnaround.[13]

References

External links

Political offices
Preceded by
Ron Littlefield		 Mayor of Chattanooga
2013 – Present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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