Lorraine A. Goffe-Rush, who is now vice chancellor for human resources at Washington University in St. Louis, will join MIT in February as its next vice president for human resources. Israel Ruiz, executive vice president and treasurer, announced the news today in an email to MIT faculty and staff.
“Lorraine brings a deep understanding of the university environment, organization, and community; broad and progressive HR experience; and a collaborative leadership style,” Ruiz says. “I am delighted that she will be joining MIT.”
Goffe-Rush has worked in human resources at Washington University since 2000. Before assuming her current role this past January, she was assistant vice chancellor for human resources from 2010 to 2013; director of human resources from 2006 to 2010; and director of employee relations from 2000 to 2006.
“Throughout the recruitment process, I have been impressed by the talented individuals I’ve met, from the search committee to the leadership team, and I am honored to be joining MIT,” Goffe-Rush says. “I am committed to talent development, teamwork, and aligning HR strategies to organizational goals. I look forward to working collaboratively with all members of the Institute in support of the groundbreaking work being done at MIT.”
As Washington University’s top human resources official, Goffe-Rush has led efforts to streamline retirement fund options; redesigned health plans to reduce expenses and improve outcomes; designed and implemented employee wellness initiatives; and negotiated two collective bargaining agreements.
Previously, as assistant vice chancellor, she was responsible for the development and implementation of policies, programs, and services in the areas of employment, employee relations, human resources management systems, faculty records, staff diversity and inclusion, and learning and organizational development. She has also been responsible for ensuring institutional compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and with meeting the diverse needs of a large campus community.
“At MIT, living up to our mission requires superb talent united in extraordinarily effective teams, all across the Institute,” MIT President L. Rafael Reif says. “Given her impressive record of success in another highly decentralized university, we are fortunate that Lorraine Goffe-Rush has agreed to join us in meeting this challenge.”
Goffe-Rush holds a BA in business administration from William Woods University in Fulton, Mo., awarded in 1986; later, in 1992, she earned an MBA from National University in San Diego. Her first job after college was as a manager of operations, customer service, and purchasing at a small medical supply company in St. Louis — a role that led her to pursue a career in human resources.
After marrying and moving to San Diego, Goffe-Rush accepted her first human resources job at Fornaca Family Bakery, then the largest privately-owned bakery in Southern California. In 1992, she joined San Diego Gas & Electric Co., where she was promoted to a supervisory human resources role, overseeing compensation, benefits, and employee relations for approximately 4,000 employees.
Goffe-Rush returned to St. Louis with her husband in 1998 to be closer to family, joining Barnes-Jewish Hospital as a senior human resources consultant. In 1999, she became manager of human resources at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, overseeing compensation, benefits, recruitment support, and employee activities.
Since joining Washington University in 2000, Goffe-Rush has helped implement improvements in human resources processes and make more effective use of technology, including the development of an electronic document-management system. She has led the university’s Affirmative Action Compliance Review Team and outsourced paper-intensive employment- and income-verification processes, allowing for more efficient use of staff resources.
Goffe-Rush earned certification as a senior professional in human resources in 2003. She is a member of professional organizations including the National Higher Education Recruitment Consortium, the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, and the Society for Human Resource Management.
