Every Spring semester, the Berry IOP invites two prominent political and public leaders to campus to serve as Berry IOP Fellows. These leaders may include elected officials, journalists, activists, lawyers, policymakers, and other public servants. As rising or seasoned professionals, Fellows share their knowledge, skills, and experiences with students who are exploring and pursuing careers in politics and public service. As current practitioners, Fellows support students building practical skills that will supplement what they are learning in academic courses.
Fellows visit campus multiple times throughout the semester to lead both curricular and co-curricular programs including visiting classes, hosting meals with students, and coordinating speaker and workshop events. Through these one-time and ongoing engagements, Fellows serve as a resource and a mentor to students. This is an opportunity for students to learn, network, and engage with national leaders and change-makers.
Marylou Sudders is a social worker committed to the health and well-being of all residents, committed to equity and the reform of behavioral health care. Sudders brings more than 25 years of public service, including having served as Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for the entirety of Governor Baker's eight-year term, from 2015-2023. As the Commonwealth's longest serving Secretary, Sudders oversaw 12 state agencies and the MassHealth program and spearheaded significant investments in behavioral health, such as the Behavioral Health RoadMap. She also directed the state's response to COVID-19, earning the Commonwealth Fund's highest performance among all states and territories in its 2022 Scorecard along with Hawaii. Sudders has been a highly impactful leader in both the public and private sectors, including serving as the Massachusetts Commissioner of Mental Health, a non-profit CEO, associate professor and program chair at Boston College’s School of Social Work, as an independent consultant with the Department of Justice, and currently is a senior policy advisor as Smith, Costello, & Crawford. She was also appointed in 2023 to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s Ad hoc Committee to Improve Behavioral Health Care in Medicaid, Medicare and Marketplace Plans, and is the recipient of many civic, social work, and professional honors.
James "Jimmy" Hills is a prominent community advocate, self-made talk show host, and critical voice in the Boston media landscape. Over the course of his 40-year career, James has mastered community building and relations by serving in leadership positions in several Boston-based nonprofits and all three levels of government. In 2023 and 2024, he was named one of Boston Magazine's Most Influential Bostonians. Hills is proud to have grown up in the communities he has dedicated his life to advocating for. He attended the University of Massachusetts Boston, College of Public and Community Service and received several public health and youth development certifications. Hills also graduated from the Non-Profit Management Leadership Certificate Program at the Boston University Questrom School of Business. In March of 2020, Hills launched an internet-based talk show titled "JavawithJimmy", initially in response to the impact of COVID-19 on Black and Brown communities. Now, with close to 13,000 followers across social media, the four-day-a-week broadcast has evolved into one of Boston's most recognized organically driven, informative, resourceful, and politically engaging platforms.
Tomás Gonzalez is a dedicated advocate for social justice and empowerment in Boston, with an impressive track record in political, electoral, and social campaigns spanning over 30 years. Born and raised in Boston, he is deeply rooted in the community and committed to driving positive change. He has held multiple influential roles within Boston's local government such as Deputy Director for the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services (MONS) and Assistant Commissioner for the City of Boston's Inspectional Services department. Gonzalez served as the political director for the Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN) and the founding member and executive board member of Raise Up Massachusetts (RUM). Currently, Gonzalez works as the Director of Community & Advocacy at Amplify Latinx and is the co-owner of SEED Cannabis Dispensary located in Jamaica Plain.
Alison King is an award-winning journalist with over 30 years of experience in the broadcasting industry. She spent most of her career covering politics in New England, including leading the local, state, and regional political coverage for NBC Boston/NECN from 1995 until her retirement from TV in April 2023. She has covered seven presidential elections and interviewed every Republican and Democratic presidential candidate since 1996. King has also reported and produced three documentaries, including “Ted Kennedy: Last Liberal Standing,” “The Education of Deval Patrick,” and “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of New Hampshire.” She has won several awards for her reporting, including 4 Emmys, 2 Gracies, and 3 Associated Press awards.
Eugenia Gibbons is an expert in clean energy and climate policy and programming. With an eye towards equity and climate justice, she has worked throughout her career to hold people and communities at the center of strategy development, policy design, and program implementation. Gibbons was a member of Governor Healey and Lt. Governor Driscoll’s transition policy committee for climate readiness, resiliency, and adaptation after previously serving on the Commission on Clean Heat, convened by Governor Baker. Gibbons was previously the Massachusetts Director of Climate Policy for Health Care Without Harm where she worked with hospitals to reduce their environmental footprint. Currently, Gibbons works as the Clean Power Program Director for the Energy Foundation.
Former Massachusetts Governor Jane Swift is an accomplished leader in both the public and private sectors and a recognized national voice on education policy, women’s leadership and work/family integration. Swift served for fifteen years in state government, including holding the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, and State Senator. Since leaving public office, she has held roles in the private sector focused on education as a Chief Executive Officer, an adviser to entrepreneurial education companies, a board member and committee chair for public companies, and a partner in a venture capital fund. Currently, Swift is an operating partner at The Vistria Group and founder of Cobble Hill Farm Education & Rescue Center.
Kim Michelle Janey made history when she was sworn in as Boston’s first woman and first Black mayor, successfully leading the city through a multitude of unprecedented challenges, including the COVID-19 global pandemic. Prior to serving as mayor, Janey was elected to the Boston City Council as the first woman to represent District 7 and in 2020 was elected by her peers to serve as President of the most diverse City Council in Boston’s history. Devoting her life to public service, Janey has 25 years of experience in the non-profit sector guided by her values: the importance of education, the power of community organizing, and the fundamental principles of equity and justice.
Jennifer L. Levi is a lawyer, a professor, and a nationally recognized expert on transgender legal issues who has dedicated their career to fighting for the rights of women; children; the poor; and gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) clients. Currently, Levi serves as the Director of the Transgender Rights Project for the GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and as Professor of Law at Western New England University. Throughout their career, Levi has led legal fights for transgender equality across a range of contexts including in the areas of family law, education, health care, incarceration, military service, and beyond.
