Mary R. Jeka, Senior Vice President and General Counsel, University Relations Division

Mary R. Jeka is a member of President Sunil Kumar’s senior leadership team at Tufts University. In June 2003, Ms. Jeka was appointed Vice President for University Relations and was later promoted to Senior Vice President for University Relations and General Counsel. She reorganized each of the departments in University Relations to maximize the quality and cost effectiveness of the services.

Ms. Jeka is the university’s chief legal officer managing the Office of University Counsel, the Office of Equal Opportunity and the Office of Government & Community Relations.

Prior to coming to Tufts, Ms. Jeka was a principal aide and general counsel to the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, (D-Mass). For over ten years, she worked with Senator Kennedy on appropriations, education, environmental, transportation and health care 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).

Ms. Jeka is a resident of Somerville, Massachusetts. 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. Ms. Jeka serves on the following boards: the Massachusetts Association of Mental Health (MAMH), Justice Bridge, and Rogerson Communities. She served on the board of directors of the National Association of College and University Attorneys (NACUA) from 2019-2022.