Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer
Lorraine Goffe, a human resources leader with more than 20 years of senior-level experience, is the vice president for human resources and chief human resources officer at Northwestern University. She has also served as vice president for human resources at Penn State, MIT, and Washington University as well as in leadership positions in both healthcare and private industry.
Goffe has broad HR experience, including organizational leadership; change management; workforce development; employee engagement; benefits and compensation; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; and HR analytics. Goffe has differentiated herself as an HR leader by her ability to successfully enact change while supporting the needs of the organization and focusing on the well-being of employees. Along with her HR expertise, Goffe understands the business and uses data to solve problems through innovative solutions.
Goffe earned a B.A. from William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri, and an MBA from National University in San Diego, California. She is also certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the Human Resources Certification Institute and a Senior Certified Professional (SCP) by the Society for Human Resources Management.
Goffe has always been an active member of her civic and professional communities serving on many non-profit and professional boards. She is also a sought-after speaker, speaking at regional and national conferences. Goffe currently serves on the board of the American Research Universities-HR Institute.