April 9, 2026
Dear Tufts community member,
I am writing today with the news that Mary Jeka, senior vice president for University Relations and general counsel, will be retiring from Tufts University after more than two decades of extraordinary service. Her last day will be June 30, 2026.
Mary joined Tufts in June 2003, and over the past 23 years she has been an invaluable member of this university's leadership, supporting the administrations of three Tufts presidents. As the person leading our University Relations division, which includes the offices of University Counsel, University Compliance and Ethics, Government and Community Relations, and Equal Opportunity, she has guided the institution through complex and consequential matters—from litigation and employment law to intellectual property, real estate, government relations, compliance, and issues involving Title VI, VII, and IX. For a significant period of time, Mary also oversaw the University Communications and Marketing team, supporting its efforts to modernize its operations and structure to enable the university to better tell its story. In every aspect of her work, Mary has always exercised sound judgment, deep expertise, and an unwavering commitment to Tufts' mission and values.
Mary has also mentored dozens of colleagues during her time at Tufts and leaves a legacy of positively impacting the development of the next generation of professionals. All of us who have had the privilege to work with her would describe her as “always ethical,” “always committed to doing not just what’s legal but also what’s right,” and “having one of the sharpest legal minds but also an equally big heart.”
Let me also take a moment to recognize Mary’s exceptional career before she came to Tufts. Mary served as a principal aide and general counsel to the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, in whose office she worked on some of the most consequential legislative matters of the era. In fact, we can thank her for dramatically speeding up travel time between our Medford/Somerville and Boston Health Sciences campuses with her work shepherding the Big Dig legislation through Congress. She also served as general counsel for the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the Massachusetts Health and Educational Facilities Authority (now MassDevelopment). Her public service background shaped her approach to higher education law—one grounded in the belief that institutions like ours exist to serve a broader public good.
We will share information about Mary’s successor in the coming weeks. But today is a time to thank Mary and recognize her for her distinguished service to the university. I am deeply grateful to Mary for her counsel, her commitment, and her friendship. Please join me in wishing her every happiness in the next chapter.
Sincerely,
Sunil Kumar