Uniquely harnessing decades of experience in government, public policy, and nonprofit work, in 2023, Caroline DeBerry founded and became the chief executive officer of Tenagrity Solutions, a strategy, communications, operations, and scalability consulting firm. Ms. DeBerry works with nonprofit and for-profit entities in multiple sectors, including the health care and defense industries, and looks forward to expanding her company’s reach into other spheres, such as academia. Since taking more control of her career by launching Tenagrity Solutions, she has enjoyed having the ability to focus on what’s important and make a real difference in the lives of others. She feels fortunate to have achieved all her career goals so far and looks forward to continuing to grow her business.
Ms. DeBerry began her professional journey into government and public policy as a volunteer state legislative aid for Georgia House Rep. Jack White, as a campaign worker for Georgia Sen. Bill Stephens’ reelection campaign, and as a page for the Georgia General Assembly. She served as a full-time intern for U.S. Congressman Tom Price’s reelection campaign named Price for Congress, in 2008. Concurrently, Ms. DeBerry garnered experience as a full-time intern for U.S. Senator Laman Alexander’s reelection campaign. In pursuit of continual professional development, she graduated summa cum laude from Freed-Hardeman University with a Bachelor of Science in U.S. Government in 2010 and worked as a columnist for the student newspaper, The F-HC Bell Tower. Devoted to lifelong learning, Ms. DeBerry returned to higher education at the Thomas Goode Jones School of Law at Faulkner University, receiving a full-tuition scholarship and dean’s fellowship to study law from 2014 to 2015.
In 2013, Ms. DeBerry founded Checkmate Consulting, where she was chief executive officer until 2015. After working for Faulkner University as a research assistant and pursuing work as a legal ghostwriter for the Beasley Allen Law Firm from 2015 to 2017, she became the chief external affairs officer for Remote Area Medical in 2019. Ms. DeBerry considered establishing her own business when the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020 but ultimately accepted an invitation to start a health care think tank named the Paragon Health Institute, where she was vice president from 2021 to 2023. The think tank researched policy solutions with the goal of providing affordable and quality access to health care, a cause near to Ms. DeBerry’s heart. As a senior congressional staff member, she worked in close collaboration with the head of Medicare and his team to address a longstanding issue regarding Medicare reimbursements being inaccessible. Because of her hard work, advocacy, research, and analysis, she helped implement a solution that even a court challenge failed to overturn. Eventually, Ms. DeBerry resigned from the Paragon Health Institute to start Tenagrity Solutions.
Ms. DeBerry believes her success is chiefly the result of her faith, family, and friends. As a lifelong public servant, she wakes up each morning with a desire to help others. With experience as a former congressional staff member and participant in many political campaigns, she remains open to the possibility of working for the government once should an incredible opportunity become available in the Department of Defense or the Department of Health and Human Services. Ms. DeBerry stays professionally active as a member of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (also known as BARDA) BioMaP Consortium and maintains affiliation with the Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity and Phi Beta Chi, among other organizations.
Apart from her primary professional achievements, Ms. DeBerry has found success as a creative writer. She self-published a children’s book titled “Reflect: The Beginning” in 2015 and authored “The Renewal of Independence: The Nation’s Renewed Dependence on Independence” with Hester Publications in 2010. In addition to writing, her interests include drawing, taking photographs, playing the piano, and hiking. Ms. DeBerry cherishes time with family and friends and is active in her church community.