DeBerry, Lois

The Honorable Lois DeBerry is the State Representative for District 91 in the Tennessee House of Representatives. A political history maker in Tennessee, Representative DeBerry is currently serving as the first African American female Speaker Pro Tempore of the Tennessee House of Representatives. She was also the first African American woman from Memphis Tennessee elected to the House. Health, education, children and families have been her focus as a member of the Tennessee Legislature. She has served on the Joint Select Committee on Children and Youth, the House Health Care Facilities Subcommittee, the Public Health and Family Assistance Subcommittee. She chaired the Special Committee to Study Integration of Ex-Offenders into Mainstream Society. She serves as a member of the Governor's Juvenile Justice Reform Commission and on the Governor's Minority Business Development Advisory Committee. As a leader in the House, Speaker Pro Tempore DeBerry serves on the Rules Committee, the Ethics Committee, and the State and Local Government Committee. Representative DeBerry is the Founder and Chairperson of the Annual Legislative Retreat of the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators. Nationally, she has been active in the National Conference of State Legislatures; was a member and served as national chair of the National Black Caucus of State legislators; she is active in the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBLE Women). Representative DeBerry is a prolific public speaker and is sought after nationwide for public appearances.