An insurance executive who is one of Georgetown University’s top donors became the chair of its board of directors July 1, the university announced July 6.
The board selected W. Robert Berkley, Jr. (GSB ’95), one of the board’s vice chairs, to serve as chair at its summer meeting. Berkley’s family has donated millions of dollars to the university over the last two decades and is the namesake of three different Georgetown initiatives.
Alongside other board members, Berkley will oversee all academic programs, tuition changes and budget allocations. The board of directors also supervises the university’s endowment and executive compensation.
Former Interim President Robert M. Groves said Berkley and his predecessor, Thomas A. Reynolds III (GSB ’74), have provided the university with indispensable support.
“Tom has done an extraordinary job leading the board,” Groves said in the university’s announcement. “He has been steadfast in his support and has provided invaluable guidance and leadership during a period of transition. I thank him for his many years of service to our university. We look forward to Rob’s leadership as our new board chair — he has a deep understanding of Georgetown and the challenges and opportunities we face, essential qualities in a board leader.”
Berkley is a long-time member of the board of directors and of the McDonough School of Business (MSB) advisory board. The Berkley family also established Georgetown’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs in 2006 and an endowed chair in the MSB in 2011. In 2025, following the family’s $25 million donation to Georgetown’s nursing school, the university renamed it the Berkley School of Nursing.
At the meeting, the board of directors also authorized the creation of two new graduate programs — a master of public health in epidemiology and a master of professional studies in strategic leadership and artificial intelligence — and approved the fiscal year 2027 budget, which includes a record-breaking $292 million financial aid commitment. The approvals come as federal funding losses prompt the university to reevaluate its graduate education programs and seek new revenue flows.
Berkley said he is committed to Georgetown’s success.
“Our family has a deep sense of appreciation for Georgetown University’s values,” Berkley said in a 2025 press release honoring the nursing school donation. “We believe in what the university stands for, and the contribution it makes to bettering society every day. We’re very grateful for the opportunity to support the university.”
