Queen Creek Unified chief went from MLB to education

Perry Berry took an interesting route on his way to becoming superintendent of the Queen Creek Unified School District.

The Colorado native played Major League Baseball with the Houston Astros from 1990 to 1996 before pursuing a career as a teacher and a coach. In his more than 20 years of experience in education, Berry has served as a teacher, coach, principal and district administrator.

Now he presides over one of the fastest-growing school districts in the state with more than 14,000 preschool-12th grade students.

Even as he played in the big leagues, Berry had long-term plans for a career in education.

“Some of the most influential people in my life were coaches and teachers,” Berry said.

In 2023, Berry received a statewide award for his work in connecting district leaders and initiatives with community organizers and stakeholders. The award was from School Connect, an organization that connects schools to communities across Arizona. Berry was honored with the Changemaker Award.

Read on to learn more about QCUSD’s superintendent.

Name: Perry Berry

Age: 55

Occupation: Superintendent of QCUSD

Hometown: Dolores, Colorado

Family: Wife and four children (Jacob – Miami Marlins, Jade – Stanford University, Jenae – Queen Creek High School, Jet - Queen Creek High School)

How did you get into your career? Some of the most influential people in my life were coaches and teachers. Therefore, I pursued a teaching/coaching career out of college and professional baseball.

What advice would you give to people entering your field? Remember why you entered the field of education. Education is a worthwhile and noble profession. Educators partner with parents and pass on a legacy of knowledge, skills and character to young people.

What are the opportunities you see in your community? Tremendous partnership and workforce preparation opportunities among K-12 schools, post-secondary institutions and business and industry partners.

What are the biggest challenges you see in your community? I would say the challenges associated with hyper growth. QCUSD is the fastest-growing district in AZ and the town of QC is the seventh fastest-growing community in the country. Managing the fast-paced demands of infrastructure, facilities, educational resources, etc. is a unique challenge to our community.

What inspires you? As a superintendent, I am driven by a deep sense of purpose around student success and preparing students for the lives/careers they will lead after graduation.

Who is your inspiration and why? My inspiration stems from my parents. My parents have demonstrated sacrifice, unconditional support and patience for me in my personal and professional life. My parents modeled integrity, grit and compassion that I strive to replicate in my personal and professional roles.

What advice would you give to today’s youth? Be very careful with social media. If you feel good about yourself when people write positive things about you on social media, you will probably believe the negative things people write as well. Don’t let others’ perceptions of you define who you are.
The way you live becomes your identity … serve others and make a positive difference in others’ lives.

Learn from mistakes, make adjustments and move forward.

Work ethic, grit and determination typically determine one’s success more than mere talent and skill.

What is something many people don’t know about you? I am an outdoor enthusiast. Played professional baseball (MLB Houston Astros organization)

What’s your favorite movie? “Braveheart” and “Seabiscuit.”

What’s your favorite sport and team? My favorite sport is baseball. However, my favorite team is the Denver Broncos (NFL)

What do you do in your downtime? I do not have a lot of free time, but I enjoy driving around in my old ‘66 Chevy C10. I like hunting, fishing and cooking on my Green Egg.

What did you want to be as a child? I really cannot remember but I idolized my dad who was a construction superintendent.

What’s the most recent concert, game or event you attended? I recently attended the Dave Matthews Band and Morgan Wallen concerts. I have been traveling and watching my kids play baseball and softball this spring. Spring training in Florida (Marlins vs. Mets), Stanford softball vs. ASU, QCHS softball vs. Highland, and QCHS baseball vs. Corona Del Sol.

Where would you live if not Queen Creek? Small mountain town in Southwest Colorado, Dolores, Colorado.

What do you most cherish from your childhood? Climbing the mountain behind my parents’ house, swimming in the Dolores River, going to work with my dad.

What kind of student were you in grade school? I was an energetic but somewhat quiet kid in grade school. I loved recess, PE and after school activities.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org.