Mayor Berry: ‘We have much to be thankful for’
Outgoing Albuquerque mayor leaves a message of hope as he prepares to hand over the reins
During my final week as the mayor of Albuquerque, my family and I will spend a very special Thanksgiving together. We have much to be thankful for.
First and foremost, I am thankful to the people of this great city who have given me and my family the opportunity to serve you and your families over the past eight years. I have cherished every day of it.
I appreciate that you have been willing to passionately share your thoughts, dreams and concerns with me. You are our greatest strength, and I have witnessed your kindness and compassion firsthand throughout our eightyear journey together as we worked to improve Albuquerque. Sometimes we had the wind at our back, and sometimes the journey was hard on all of us, but I always knew that we were in it together. I have felt supported as your mayor, and as a soon-to-be-private citizen, I am honored to now have nearly 600,000 people whom I consider brothers and sisters throughout our city.
Public service is very much a family affair, and I am thankful for my beautiful wife, Maria, my son, Jacob, our parents and our entire family who have all served this community every bit as much as I have. I am eternally grateful for your love and steadfast support, as well as your insights and your shoulders to lean on. Above all, thank you for your understanding that public service is a calling that requires sacrifice from the entire family, not just the one who is elected to office. I wouldn’t trade the all-nighters, cancelled vacations and working weekends for anything, but I now look forward to more date nights and the opportunity to enjoy the amazing New Mexico outdoors with my family.
I am thankful for my staff and directors, whom I consider the best in government. Working for an elected official is hard work, and I have been a demanding mayor. There has been some heavy lifting to do during the past eight years and you have always risen to the challenge on behalf of the people we serve. You have definitely earned our ranking as one of the best-run cities in America.
I appreciate the nearly 6,000 city employees who work hard to make Albuquerque great. They are dedicated and passionate about what they do. I know because I see it every day. I have been honored to work beside you as we strive to leave things better than we found them. I am especially grateful for our veterans and first responders, who risk their lives to protect our freedoms, keep us safe and help us in our times of greatest need. Say thanks to a veteran, police officer or firefighter next time you see one. They have earned and deserve your respect and support.
Albuquerque is blessed to have great leaders in the business community, the faith community and the nonprofit sector. Government is here to serve, but civic leadership makes a real difference. And some of the greatest leaders I have met don’t have official titles. They lead from the kitchen table, the classroom, the homeless shelters and the neighborhoods. These folks bring our community together for the common good. Keep up the great work.
Thank you to the City Council for embracing a spirit of bipartisanship over the past eight years. We have collaborated to build critical infrastructure, balance budgets, implement nationally recognized social and educational initiatives, and bolster environmental stewardship and our business climate, while also improving every district in the city.
I am also thankful for the work of our former mayors. One thing I have learned is that all mayors face challenges when we take office, and the work of our city never ends. My predecessors have left positive imprints on our community and have set foundations from which to build. I hope that I have done the same.
Best wishes to Mayor-elect Tim Keller and his family. It is my hope that he finds the work as rewarding as I did.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you Albuquerque. On this Thanksgiving, Maria and I wish all the best to you and your families!