beyond the Chris Berry classroom:

words by BRENDA AUTRY photos by CHRIS BERRY

chris Berry, an instructor and department chair in Machine Tool Technology at LBCC, has always been a doer. Berry said that growing up in rural Wyoming, he was “One of the kids that got kicked out at first light and came back in when the street lights came on.” That constant motion and desire to be outdoors has stayed with Berry throughout his life, and has manifested in some really cool ways.

Berry received his Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration from the University of Wyoming, but in 2008 his love of working with his hands led him to Oregon where he attended Chemeketa Community College and received an Associate of Applied Science in both Machining and Drafting. After Chemeketa, Berry went to work for Viper NW in Albany where he stayed for several years and worked in many different roles.

Outside of his work life, Berry is an adventurer. He loves to be outdoors and he enjoys backpacking, kayaking and especially cycling.

“Cycling is my favorite, life-long hobby,” said Berry. “Cycling was my dad’s sport, so we always cycled together. When I was a teen I started racing mountain bikes. Now I do a lot of mountain biking by myself, and a lot in groups. I also do a lot of cycle touring on my bike. I like to go places and travel any way I can. That is what excites me.”

Another way Berry travels to new places is by kayaking. “Last summer, I did a multiday kayaking trip on the Willamette, kayaking from Eugene to Salem,” he said.

He’s even found a way to combine his love of cycling and kayaking. Berry said, “I got a new pack wrap, which is a folding rollup inflatable kayak, so I can bike and kayak at the same time. I did a few shorter trips where I biked to Corvallis and then paddled back to Albany with the bike on the front of the boat.”

True to his machinist background and nature, Berry is also a builder. “Building, fabrication, and making things is something I’m always doing,” he said. “I do a lot of metal fab too. I have an adventure van I use for long road trips and camping, and it’s all self-built.”

“I also do custom car fabrication,” Berry said. “I have a 1969 GMC C10 that I’m restoring. It’s actually a ‘restomod’ since I lowered it seven inches, and cut it from a long to a short box—there’s not a lot of original truck left.” build furniture,” he said.

He even likes cooking. “ I like baking bread,” Berry said. “The more complicated recipes are, the more entertaining I find them to make. I cook a lot of Indian food and things like that.”

Berry lives in Albany with his significant other, Kayla Herold; their two dogs: a rescue pug named Spark Pug (Spug for short) and a great dane named Indiana; and their tortoiseshell cat named Sheva.

“I take the little dog in the van but the big dog doesn’t fit well so he doesn’t like the van too much,” said Berry. “He [Spark Pug] goes on all my hikes with me. He even goes kayaking, and cycling when I’m on my own. And the big dog stays home.”

Berry started teaching in the Machine Tool Technology program at LBCC part-time in 2016, and was hired full-time in 2018. He says that he really enjoys teaching and that his students serve as his inspiration to keep teaching.

“I love seeing that lightbulb going on when students understand, and seeing them develop a skill set that they can take forward and start a career with,” he said. “I used to think of myself as a person who makes things, and now I think of myself as someone who makes machinists who make things. And that is the reward that keeps me coming back every day.”

Berry uses his custom truck to participate in autocross racing. Autocross is a form of amateur racing where participants drive through a course laid out on a large paved area and marked by traffic cones. One car goes through at a time, and drivers try to obtain the fastest time through the course. You have to be associated with a club to participate.

“The club I race with is mostly out of the Salem area and we race in Salem and at the Evergreen Aviation Museum,” Berry said. “I blew my motor up at the first race this year, but I’ve been doing it since 2012-13 and was class champion a couple of times.”

When he’s at home, Berry likes to do things around his house. “I do a ton of work in my own shop. A lot of home improvements, building things, fixing up my house. I even

As someone who seems to really enjoy life and does so much of what he loves, I asked Berry if he had any advice to give others looking to add a spark of enjoyment to their lives, and he had this to say:

“I think that life is far too short to be unhappy and we need to find things that make us happy. Whether that’s our careers, hobbies or personal lives, we need to find things we enjoy and keep striving for things that make us happy.”