Lori Berko
Vice President and Secretary of the University
Edward H. Levi Hall, Suite 501
5801 S. Ellis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
Phone: 773.702.7598
lberko@uchicago.edu
Executive Assistant:
April Lewis
773.702.8808
aclewis3@uchicago.edu
As Secretary of the University, Lori Berko is the officer with direct responsibility for oversight and facilitation of the many governance practices at the University of Chicago. She supports all activities related to the University Board of Trustees, including working in partnership with the other officers and deans to facilitate engagement of Trustees and the work of the Board committees. Under Berko’s direction, the Office of the Secretary plays a key role in supporting the work of the University Advisory Councils, and a number of boards including those of the University Medical Center, and the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Berko also oversees the operations of the Office of University Events and Ceremonies, the department responsible for the planning and execution of events and initiatives for the Office of the President, Office of the Provost, and other campus partners who require consultation, production, and event management services. Among other high-profile public and private events held throughout the year, Events and Ceremonies oversees the protocol, planning, and execution of the institution’s annual Convocation ceremony.
Prior to her appointment as Secretary in March 2020, Berko served as the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Provost and Special Assistant to the President from 2019-2020. Prior to joining the Office of the Provost in June 2019, Berko served as Deputy Director of Arts + Public Life where she helped lead the development of the Arts Block, a vibrant collection of cultural spaces on historic Garfield Boulevard, including the opening of the Green Line Performing Arts Center in November 2018. From 2014 - 2018, Berko served as the Chief Operating Officer for Place Lab, a partnership between APL and the Harris School of Public Policy. Prior to joining the University of Chicago, she worked as a real estate attorney with Bronson & Kahn L.L.C., and as social worker through the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Berko received her B.S.W. and M.S.W. from the University of South Florida and her J.D. from The John Marshall Law School.