From 2005 through 2014, Barbara Berke served as an advisor to Mayor Menino and his cabinet on the Mayor’s cross-organizational agenda and initiatives. She has worked on a broad spectrum of issues ranging from eliminating achievement gaps and health disparities to creating jobs, workforce housing and new sources of revenue for the City. She has assisted the Mayor with goal setting, performance management and cabinet development and has worked closely with cabinet members and department heads to support them in leading transformative change.
Previously Ms. Berke served Governor Romney as a member of his cabinet. Appointed in 2003 as the Secretary of Economic Development, Barbara oversaw the Mass. Office of International Trade and Investment, the Mass. Office of Business Development, the Mass, Office of Travel and Tourism, the State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance, the Office of Small Business and Entrepreneurship and the Office of Industry and Technology Competitiveness. Prior to joining Governor Romney’s administration, Ms. Berke was a partner and Vice President of The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), a global strategy consulting firm. Since leaving state government, Barbara has continued her work on economic development with the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. She was an active participant with the Health Care for All, the ACT!! Coalition, and the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization in making the case for healthcare reform in Massachusetts. She also serves on the Advisory Board of Northeastern University’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs.
Barbara lives in Brookline, MA with her husband, two children of her own and a “Lost Boy” from South Sudan.