Mission

The Office of the Secretary seeks to provide outstanding service to the Board of Trustees, the administration, and the university community that enables the board to perform its fiduciary duty at a high level, the administration to operate efficiently and effectively with respect to the governance of the university, and the university community to understand and engage with the governing board.

Secretary to the Board of Trustees

 

Margaret W. (Maggie) Epps is Secretary to the Board of Trustees and Chief of Staff to the President. As Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Maggie serves as the chief liaison between the Board of Trustees and the administration, faculty, students and other Duke constituencies, and works closely with the board leadership and the President to develop annual work plans and board meetings, and with the committee chairs and administrative liaisons to plan committee meetings. As the Chief of Staff to the President, she works closely with senior leadership and others to advance the priorities of the President, provides administrative oversight of the Office of the President and the Office of Special Events and University Ceremonies, oversees senior officer administrative searches and reviews, and serves as a member of the President’s communications team that advises on and plans presidential appearances and develops messaging for a broad array of constituencies.

Previously, Maggie served as Associate Secretary to the Board of Trustees and Special Assistant to the President. Prior to joining the Office of the Secretary in 2014 and the Office of the President in 2017, Maggie served as Chief of Staff to the Chancellor for Health Affairs/CEO of Duke University Health System beginning in 2012 and was responsible for planning and directing the administrative, financial and operational activities of the Chancellor's Office and supporting and advancing the Chancellor's programs and initiatives. Maggie began her career at Duke in 1999 in Duke Medicine's Office of Marketing and Creative Services, where she held positions of increasing responsibility during her 13-year tenure. Maggie holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Georgia, and is a 2016 graduate of the Duke Leadership Academy. 

The Office of the Secretary is located at 217 Allen Building. 

Duke University
Box 90030
Durham, NC  27708
919-684-2641
secretary@duke.edu

Staff

Laura Brown
Associate Secretary to the Board of Trustees
919-684-2641
laura.brown@duke.edu