Carol Berz
Dr. Carol Berz, District 6 City Council representative, died unexpectedly of natural causes Wednesday.
Her family requests that the community respects their privacy at this time, officials said.
A celebration of her life will be announced at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Chattanooga Hamilton County Family Justice Center.
Councilwoman Berz had announced that she planned to run for another four-year term on the council.
She has served as the council chair of the finance committee for many years.
The city website gives this information on Councilwoman Berz:
Dr. Berz is renowned for her extensive expertise in solution-oriented, collaborative problem-solving and program design across both public and private sectors. For over 25 years, she has served as a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Listed General Civil and Family mediator and trainer, particularly recognized for her authority addressing complex issues of the special circumstance of domestic violence. As the owner and CEO of Private Dispute Resolution Services, LLC in Chattanooga, Tennessee, she leads its mediation services and training programs. Carol also holds a prominent role as a Councilwoman for the City of Chattanooga, where she currently chairs the Budget and Finance Committee.
Her professional pursuits span practice and teaching in mediation, law, ethics, and employment and labor/management conflicts, focusing on corporate conflict cost analysis. Previously, she served as Director of Forensic Services and Executive Director at Joseph W. Johnson Mental Health Center, and as a visiting professor at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, teaching social policy, law, and ethics.
Carol's contributions to mediation are extensive; she chaired the Curriculum and Continuing Education Committee of the Mediation Association of Tennessee and led the mediation component of the Hamilton County Courts' Pilot Project which led to the creation of Tennessee's Parenting Plan law. She also played a pivotal role as Commissioner with the Chattanooga Human Rights/Human Relations Commission, addressing employment and civil rights matters and becoming its first Chairwoman.
Beyond her professional achievements, Carol is a graduate of Leadership America in Washington, D.C., and has held leadership roles including President of the Board of Directors of the Moccasin Bend Girl Scout Council. She has served on the Tennessee Advisory Commission to the US Civil Rights Commission and chaired the Tennessee Economic Council on Women, focusing on the economic impact of the issues that hold women back from living their best lives.
Recognized for her community leadership, Carol chaired the Board of Managers of the Hamilton Family YMCA and served on the Board of the Chattanooga Metro YMCA. Her accolades include the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce Athena Award, Chief John Ross Chapter NSDAR, Outstanding Woman in American History, and recognition by the City of Chattanooga for advancing equality of opportunity. Currently, she chairs the Mayor's Council for Women and the Advisory Board to the Family Justice Center.
Dr. Berz holds a PhD in Social Policy from the University of Tennessee, a JD from the Nashville School of Law, an MA in Administration from the University of Tennessee, and a BA in Human Services Management from the University of Tennessee. She has pursued additional studies at Emory University, Bryn Mawr College, the Deming Institute, and Harvard University. Furthermore, she holds certifications as an IFTA certified Personal Trainer, an AEA advanced trainer, and a YMCA certified instructor and trainer in aquatic sports training. Her professional memberships include the Association for Conflict Resolution, the ADR Section of the American Bar Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the Academy for Professional Family Mediators, and the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators.
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said, "“Everyone at City Hall is devastated by the news of the passing of Councilwoman Carol Berz. Over her 16 years of service on City Council and decades of service to Chattanooga she touched countless lives and made our city a better place. Councilwoman Berz was the driving force behind the establishment of the Family Justice Center and the revitalization of Midtown, among her many accomplishments. As chair of the council’s finance committee and the mayor’s council for women she worked closely with my administration. I can tell you that behind closed doors she was the same passionate advocate for the people of Chattanooga that she was in public. We have lost one of our community’s most impactful and visionary leaders.”
Chris Cosby, CEO, Parkridge Health System said, "On behalf of the entire staff of Parkridge Medical System, especially Parkridge East Hospital, I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of Councilwoman Carol Berz. Over the course of her groundbreaking career, Dr. Berz was a dedicated champion of healthy families and strong communities, which was reflected in outstanding leadership on the Chattanooga City Council. We are grateful for her years of partnership and support. May she rest in peace.”
John Shearer wrote this profile of Carol Berz in 2008:
Newly elected District 6 City Council representative Dr. Carol Berz admittedly does not take herself too seriously.
“Maybe because I have enough experience, I can keep my sense of humor,” she said with a laugh recently.
However, enough people felt seriously about her and her qualifications to elect her to the post Feb. 5 with 29 percent of the vote in the six-person race.
The seat opened after Marti Rutherford resigned last fall over questions about whether she lived in the district. The Rev. Mike Feely had filled the seat temporarily after the resignation, and an election for the full four-year term will be held in March 2009.
Although Dr. Berz takes a light approach toward herself, she is passionate about wanting to help improve her district and the city of Chattanooga as a whole, she said.
For her, bringing the residents of the district together in a unified manner is a key.
“Our district is one of the most diverse,” she said. “We go from the side of Missionary Ridge out to Tyner. We encompass all kinds of folks, yet there has not been unity in the district. We need to get together and bring Brainerd Road back.”
The longtime Brainerd Hills resident thinks the Brainerd area could use more green space and sidewalks connecting the various neighborhoods.
She said plans are also in the works to look at redeveloping Eastgate, which a generation or so ago was the premier shopping complex in Chattanooga. She would love to see it become a trendy area like the Virginia Highlands neighborhood of Atlanta, with specialty shops, restaurants and other amenities.
“It is time for us in the Brainerd area to get back to work,” she said.
Dr. Berz, who has a law degree and does corporate and individual mediation, has been at work herself on community issues for a number of years.
One of the first times she was noticed on a citywide level was as an articulate and level-headed member of the Chattanooga Human Rights and Human Relations Commission nearly two decades ago.
Initiated during the Mayor Gene Roberts administration, the group received much media coverage for its non-binding work trying to resolve sensitive human rights issues and its efforts to push for better human relations in the city as a whole.
Dr. Berz, who was reared in Atlanta and moved to Chattanooga after getting married, said she first seriously considered running for the council seat last fall after the residency questions regarding Ms. Rutherford surfaced.
As the chairman of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women, she had just co-authored a study pointing out that Tennessee ranked 49th in the country in participation of women in politics. This included everything from women who run for elected office, to those who vote, to those who actively support a candidate.
She had just finished the article, gone to the YMCA to exercise, and had gone home when she received a call asking her to run for Ms. Rutherford’s seat.
At the time, Ms. Rutherford had not yet resigned, and Dr. Berz thought seeking the seat or agreeing to seek it would be inappropriate.
However, the call did start her thinking that maybe she should practice what she was advocating. When Ms. Rutherford did resign a few weeks later and Dr. Berz was asked again, she said yes.
“I said that I think I have to,” Dr. Berz said. “I have to walk the talk.”
She immediately went to work forming a diverse support group of Republicans and Democrats, as well as men and women, to help her.
“We marched neighborhoods and we really worked and we were fortunate we won,” she said.
Since the election, Ms. Berz has continued to meet with these supporters every Friday.
She has also stayed quite busy. Although her staff has helped her keep her mediation work on schedule, she has also tried to soak in as much learning on the City Council as she can.
So far, she has been enjoying the experience of serving, adding that everyone, including Mayor Ron Littlefield, has been nice and helpful.
“It has been great. People could not have been nicer,” she said. “And I get to meet a lot of people and find out what some of the real issues are.”
On the road to serving as a City Council member, Dr. Berz said she had many mentors, including Rep. Tommie Brown, who taught Dr. Berz at UTC, and former County Commissioner Paul McDaniel.
“She taught me about standing up for what I believe,” Dr. Berz said. “And the Rev. Paul McDaniel taught me to stand up for what I believe in, too, but with a touch of gentlemanliness.”
Now that she is on the City Council and increasing the participation of women in politics in Tennessee, she can be a mentor as well.
Carol Berz in 2008