KANNAPOLIS — The city traditionally rotates among city council members who serves as mayor pro tem, and Doug Wilson handed the seat over to newly elected Dianne Berry at the council meeting Monday night.

Mayor Darrell Hinnant, when he was first elected in November 2013, suggested the council vote in a mayor pro tem on an annual, rotating basis, starting in December of that year. They started with the most tenured council member and have maintained a rotation.

This year was Berrry’s turn, and council member Doug Wilson held the Bible for her swearing in, as her husband was unable to attend for health reasons.

Berry has served on the council since she was first elected in 2013, and this will be her second term as mayor pro tem.

She noted that the council has now worked together for several years, and there are numerous projects they have completed or are working on as a team, and she intends to remain devoted to the city and its future.

“Will we always 100 percent agree on every matter that comes before us going forward?” Berry said. “Probably not. But cohesiveness is crucial for any group of elected leaders. If we can commit to remain cohesive, we will have a stronger commitment to our shared goals, leading to increased motivation and effort. And therefore, finding a means to the end. And we can depend upon each other’s contributions toward the common goal.

“I feel confident that 2025 is going to be a great year for Kannapolis and the city council,” she added. “But not because I am serving as mayor pro tem, but because I believe in the council and the potential we have to work cohesively and respectfully to lead our city, which is our No. 1 goal. There is no doubt we all have heart and a great passion for Kannapolis, I continue to be extremely grateful to have the opportunity to serve, and I see great things on the horizon.”

In addition, Berry shared the spotlight with City Clerk Bridgette Bell, who is retiring Dec. 27. Bell has served 37 years.

“Bridgette has served our city faithfully and effectively for all of her nearly four-decade career,” council members noted in the recognition. “As we celebrate the city’s 40-year anniversary, it is notable that Bridgette has played a major role in shaping our city in all but a few of those years.”

She joined the city as city clerk, and has been responsible for maintaining the permanent and legal records of the city, including minutes of council meetings, ordinances, resolutions, proclamations, contract, maintaining city codes, procedures and policies and all other documents that are required for the city to maintain by law.

Not only is Bell a Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) but in 2010, she earned the designation of Master Municipal Clerk (MMC).

Berry has a personal connection with Bell, she noted. Back in 2005, Berry was the clerk to the Cabarrus County Board of Health and Human Services. Dr. William F. Pilkington, CEO, public health director, wanted Bell to become certified. But the only N.C. certification for clerks in N.C. at that time was for city or county, not specifically for public health. Berry enrolled in N.C. Clerk’s Academy at UNC School of Government but soon realized she knew nothing about Planning & Zoning, Board of Adjustment work, or many of the things that the other clerks knew.

“I had already been corresponding with Bridgette Bell, getting her advice and input as I moved forward, since she was a CMC here in Kannapolis,” Berry wrote in a comment about Bell. “She set me up to attend all Kannapolis Planning and Zoning and BOA meetings for an entire year, listening, learning, and taking minutes which I typed up and sent back to her. And boy, did I learn a lot! I was able to pass every exam at UNC and most often did better the city clerks already in the job. When I got to choose which certification I wanted, I chose city clerk (CMC) because I felt I was already ‘there’ with what I had learned thanks to Bridgette.”