Berta Cabral

Berta Cabral (born 1952) was an economist, politician, the first woman president of the PSD/Açores (2008-2012) and the first in the post of Secretary of State for National Defense for Portugal (Portuguese: Secretaria de Estado da Defesa Nacional), which she assumed on 22 April 2013.

Berta Cabral was born in the parish of São José, in Ponta Delgada, daughter of Jacinto Joaquim Almeida and Maria da Conceição Correia de Almeida. She studied at the Liceu Antero de Quental (Antero de Quental Secondary School), before obtaining a licentiate degree in Finance, at the Instituto Superior de Economia of the Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, in 1975.

She married to economist Leonel de Melo Cabral, with whom they had two children Tiago and Mafalda.

Career

After beginning her professional career as superior technician in the Junta Nacional de Produtos Pecuários do Ministério da Agricultura, in Lisbon, she returned to the Azores in 1980, to participate in the directorate council of the Serviços Regionais de Produtos Agropecuários, until 1983. In 1983 and 1984, was director of commercial services for the Azorean Secretaria Regional do Comércio e Indústria (Regional Secretariate for Commerce and Industry).

Between 1984 and 1988, she regional treasury director for the Secretaria Regional das Finanças, between 1988 and 1991, was regional director for transport and communication, under the Secretaria Regional da Economia.

She became an administrator of 'Electricidade dos Açores (EDA) between 1991 and 1994, before becoming president of the administrative board of the regional transporter SATA Air Açores.

From 1995 to 2012, she was part of the regional political commission of the PSD/Açores, becoming the president of the parliamentary group of the party between 1996 and 2001. She assumed positions within the Azores public service, including the Secretária Regional das Finanças, Planeamento e Administração Pública (1995-1996).

In 2001, she was elected president of the Câmara Municipal de Ponta Delgada, beginning a period where she was re-elect to the title by majority in 2005 and 2009. During this time, she was made the president of the inter-municipal council Associação de Municípios da Região Autónoma dos Açores; the national Associação Nacional dos Municípios Portugueses (2002-2012); president of the finance council of the Associação Nacional dos Autarcas Sociais Democratas (2002-2010); and cofounder of the Confederação de Municípios Ultraperiféricos da Europa (2003), of which she presided between 2005 and 2008.

Between 2008 and 2012, she became a member of the regional council and elected president of the PSD/Açores (with 98.5% by direct election within the party). She did not succeed in the 2012 regional elections, losing to the Vasco Cordeiro, but until 2013, remained a deputy and vice-president of the regional legislative assembly.

On 22 April 2013, she became the adjunct Secretary of State, then first woman Secretary of State for National Defense.

She published a couple of books: Ao Serviço da Minha Terra (2001) and 10 Anos Marcantes a caminho do futuro (2012).