President Cavaco Silva Succeeded by Duarte Freitas Citizenship Portuguese Name Berta Cabral | Preceded by Carlos Costa Neves Constituency Ponta Delgada Nationality Portuguese Political party Social Democratic Party | |
Full Name Berta Maria Correia de Almeida de Melo Cabral | ||
As sete maravilhas de berta cabral
Berta Cabral (born 1952) was an economist, politician, the first woman president of the PSD/Acores (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.
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Biography
Berta Cabral was born in the parish of Sao Jose, in Ponta Delgada, daughter of Jacinto Joaquim Almeida and Maria da Conceicao 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 Tecnica 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 Pecuarios do Ministerio da Agricultura, in Lisbon, she returned to the Azores in 1980, to participate in the directorate council of the Servicos Regionais de Produtos Agropecuarios, until 1983. In 1983 and 1984, was director of commercial services for the Azorean Secretaria Regional do Comercio e Industria (Regional Secretariate for Commerce and Industry).
Between 1984 and 1988, she regional treasury director for the Secretaria Regional das Financas, between 1988 and 1991, was regional director for transport and communication, under the Secretaria Regional da Economia.
She became an administrator of 'Electricidade dos Acores (EDA) between 1991 and 1994, before becoming president of the administrative board of the regional transporter SATA Air Acores.
From 1995 to 2012, she was part of the regional political commission of the PSD/Acores, becoming the president of the parliamentary group of the party between 1996 and 2001. She assumed positions within the Azores public service, including the Secretaria Regional das Financas, Planeamento e Administracao Publica (1995-1996).
In 2001, she was elected president of the Camara 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 Associacao de Municipios da Regiao Autonoma dos Acores; the national Associacao Nacional dos Municipios Portugueses (2002-2012); president of the finance council of the Associacao Nacional dos Autarcas Sociais Democratas (2002-2010); and cofounder of the Confederacao de Municipios Ultraperifericos 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/Acores (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.
Later life
She published a couple of books: Ao Servico da Minha Terra (2001) and 10 Anos Marcantes a caminho do futuro (2012).