Councilwoman Bernita Sims is a native of High Point, North Carolina. She attended High Point City Schools completing her senior year of high school at Central High School in Seat Pleasant, MD.  She attended the University of the District of Columbia where her field of study was communications. She is a 2003 graduate fellow of the Institute of Political Leadership at UNC-Wilmington.

She has been a member of the High Point City Council since December 2003, where she has served as liaison to the High Point Museum Board and the Human Relations Commission,  and is the current Chair of the Public Services Committee.  She is a member of the Special and Planning Committee and serves as liaison to the local Alcohol and Beverage Commission.  Councilwoman Sims was elected Mayor Pro-Tem in December of 2005 by her fellow council members and served a one-year term.  She serves on the National League of Cities FAIR Committee, (Finance, Administration, and Intergovernmental Relations), and is the Chairwoman of the Finance and Administrative Legislative Action Committee for the North Carolina League of Municipalities.  Bernita was the High Point Housing Authority Pillars of Fame honoree for 2009.  Her most recent achievement was receiving the 2010 High Point Chamber of Commerce Minority Business Advocate of the Year.

Her community service involvement includes co-chair of the Black Leadership Roundtable of High Point, workshop coordinator for High Point Racial Healing, Chair of the High Point Children’s Cabinet (the United Way of Greater High Point’s 2009 Child Advocate of the Year Award recipient), Secretary of the High Point Branch of the NAACP, serves on the Executive Committee of the Guilford County-Greensboro-High Point Workforce Development Board (chair of the Community Awareness Committee and the Incumbent Workers Grant Committee) , Chair of the Democratic Party’s 12th Congressional District and Chair of Welfare Reform Liaison Project, Inc.  She also sits on the boards of Win-Win Resolutions (National Board), SCV Ministries, Inc., the High Point Workforce Alliance, the High Point Community Foundation, and the City Project Board.

Councilwoman Sims attends Williams Memorial C.M.E. Church where she serves as President of the Board of Trustees, President of the Pastor’s Aide, is a member of the Chorale Ensemble Choir, the Children’s Retreat Committee, the IT Committee and serves on the Board of RJW Ministries, Inc.