Anne M. Barry has almost 30 years of state public service, with a career that includes gubernatorial appointment to high-level leadership positions in four separate administrations.  She currently serves as the Deputy Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), where she provides leadership and operational direction to all of the programs and divisions of the agency.  From 2006-2010 she also served DHS as the Chief Compliance Officer, where she was responsible for  legal, licensing, appeals, regulations, ethics, internal and program audits, financial operations and forecasts for the department. 

Barry was appointed Deputy Commissioner of Finance in the Governor Pawlenty administration after 4 years in the same position for the Governor Ventura administration.  As Deputy Commissioner, Barry was responsible for overall agency leadership and management in the areas of accounting, budget, cash and debt management, economic forecasting, and financial information systems.

Prior to her appointment in the Department of Finance, Barry was appointed by Governor Carlson as Commissioner of Health in June 1995.  As commissioner, Barry was responsible for leading the Minnesota Department of Health, which operates programs for developing health care policy for the state, as well as preventing and controlling disease, promoting healthier behavior choices, controlling environmental health hazards, protecting the health of mothers and children, and regulating health care providers.  Barry also served as the Deputy Commissioner of Health, administering the agency’s programs to protect, improve and maintain the health of Minnesota citizens.

Barry also serves as adjunct faculty for the School of Public Health in the Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota.  She provides advice, guidance, faculty support, health-related academic and research program support, and teaches a Public Health Law course.

Barry earned her Juris Doctorate from William Mitchell College of Law and her Master’s in Public Health Administration from the University of Minnesota.  She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Occupational Therapy from the College of St. Catherine.  She is currently studying for a Ph.D. in Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota.