Mary R. Jeka, Esq.

Chair

Mary is a member of President Monaco’s senior leadership team at Tufts University. In June 2003, she was appointed Vice President for University Relations and was later promoted to Senior Vice President for University Relations and General Counsel. Mary is the Chief Legal Officer managing the Office of University Counsel, the Office of Equal Opportunity, and Government & Community Relations. The University Relations Division also includes Tufts’ main communications departments, which are overseen by a Vice President for Communications and Marketing.

Prior to coming to Tufts, Mary was a Principal Aide and General Counsel to the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass), for over 10 years. She worked with Senator Kennedy on appropriations, education, environmental, transportation, and healthcare issues and became General Counsel of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee. She returned to Massachusetts in 1992 to serve as General Counsel for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) with primary responsibility for managing the legal affairs and government relations in Washington D.C. She also served as General Counsel for the Massachusetts Health and Educational Facilities Authority (HEFA). In June 2003, she was appointed Vice President for University Relations at Tufts University and, in November 2011, was promoted to Senior Vice President for University Relations and General Counsel.

Mary is a resident of Somerville. She earned her J.D. from Boston College Law School and her B.A. in political science cum laude from Boston College. She is admitted to practice law in Massachusetts.