Mary Beth Berkoff, President

Mary Beth Berkoff is the founder and principal of Creative Consortium, Ltd. A Chicago native, Berkoff began her public relations/public affairs company in 1994 with the intent of creating an environment that thrives on creative, interactive experiences for staff and clients alike.

Utilizing her extensive public relations and public affairs background, Berkoff leads through example in advising corporations and not-for-profit organizations in media relations, special event promotion and issue and crisis management.

Some highlights of Berkoff's more than twenty-year career include:

Serving as a public relations consultant to The Boston Consulting Group, an internationally recognized management consulting firm where she helped the organization gain national exposure through media placements in the major business media including a cover story in Business Week.

Working as a client services manager at Burson-Marsteller and as a senior account supervisor at Edelman Worldwide, two international public relations firms. While at these firms, she specialized in corporate and public affairs work, counting United Airlines, Nalco Chemical Company, Proctor & Gamble, S.C. Johnson Wax, SafetyKleen, Winston & Strawn and American National Bank among her clients.

Utilizing her post as director of development and public information at Northwestern University Traffic Institute for passing the state's 1984 safety belt law as well as for activating an aggressive fund raising campaign for the Institute and a successful national media awareness program.

Serving as Director of the Accident Prevention Department of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, where she was responsible for organizing and directing the community grassroots coalitions that resulted in the passage of the Illinois Child Passenger Protection Act and the law raising the state drinking age from 18 to 21.

Among her many roles at Creative Consortium, Berkoff serves as client liaison and strategist, media relations expert, new business cultivator and mentor. She strongly believes in teaching through hands-on experience and delegates client responsibilities to encourage growth and creativity in her staff.

Among her many civic activities, Ms. Berkoff is an active member of the boards of directors of Chicago Commons, a hundred year old social service agency, and the Old Town School of Folk Music and sits on the External Affairs committee of the Chicago Children's Museum.