Columbia eliminated its top spokesperson position this week, even as it seeks to reshape the narrative around its ongoing financial crisis.

Lambrini Lukidis, associate vice president of strategic communications and external relations, was laid off on Wednesday, April 22, the latest senior official to lose their job as the college works to close its $40 million deficit. 

Lukidis joined the college in 2018 under former President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim. She acted as a spokesperson during major events at the college, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the historic part-time faculty strike in 2023. 

On Thursday, April 23, the Chronicle contacted Lukidis by text with a routine inquiry, and she responded that going forward, reporters should reach out to Adriel Hilton, vice president of institutional strategy and chief of staff. Lukidis later confirmed that her position was eliminated. Hilton did not respond to requests for comment. 

The move comes amid a series of cost-cutting measures tied to the college’s deficit. 

Since January 2025, the college has laid off 48 full-time faculty members, including 32 tenured faculty. The year before, 70 staff members were laid off across the college, as the Chronicle previously reported.

The college also laid off three senior administrators last month, including former Interim President and CEO Jerry Tarrer, former Chief of Staff Laurent Pernot and Jeffrey Reuter, associate vice president of budget, planning and analysis. 

The names of the laid-off administrators were removed from the website on March 31. That same day, President and CEO Shantay Bolton sent an email outlining steps to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of the college, including reductions and realignment of the executive and management structure. She is expected to present her strategic plan to the Board of Trustees next month.

Lukidis was still listed in directory on the college’s website as of Thursday night.

With Lukidis’s departure, Vice President of Student Affairs Sharon Wilson-Taylor is the only member of Kim’s cabinet left at the college. Neither Lukidis nor Wilson-Taylor were appointed to Bolton’s cabinet.

“Columbia College Chicago is not one person,” said Emmanuel Lalande, senior vice president of enrollment strategy and student success. “We have amazing staff, faculty and, of course, students, who will continue to elevate this brand.”

In January, Bolton brought in several new administrators, including Maryann Schaefer as assistant vice president for admissions, Aubrie J. Willaert as vice president for development and alumni engagement and Jeffrey Bethke as interim chief financial officer. The college also appointed Adam Weiss as vice president of legal affairs and general counsel in March.

The college has been expanding its promotional efforts to recruit new students after spring enrollment hit a 20-year low this year, as the Chronicle previously reported. Recent Admitted Student Days have since drawn record registrations and early deposits, underscoring the administration’s parallel focus on rebuilding enrollment.

New recruitment initiatives include a one-year $2,500 scholarship for students who submitted tuition deposits by March 15 and a partnership with the Bahamas Ministry of Education and Technical and Vocational Training. The five-year agreement will support up to 20 students, with government funding ranging from approximately $7,500 to $16,000 per student. 

The college will have a clearer picture about new student enrollment after May 1, traditionally National College Decision Day in the U.S.

As head of strategic communications and external relations, Lukidis was one of the college’s primary public-facing administrators, overseeing media relations and institutional messaging. In that role, she functioned as a primary spokesperson for the college, representing the administration in communications with the press, issuing official statements and helping shape how institutional decisions were explained to the public.

Prior to coming to Columbia, Lukidis was the director of communications for the Forest Preserves of Cook County and a media relations representative for the Chicago Transit Authority. 

On April 16, Lukidis spoke to students in the “Columbia TV” capstone course, which produces “South Loop TV,” a weekly broadcast covering campus and local news. 

Lukidis previously worked as a broadcast reporter and anchor.

Senior journalism major Hunter Warner said that hearing Lukidis tell the class about her journalism background gave him a “broader perspective” on the experience she brought to her role at Columbia.

“She knew what it was like from the reporter side,” he said.

Warner communicated with Lukidis in the past while working on a story for an investigative reporting course. He said he is concerned about how Lukidis’s absence might affect journalism students as they seek information from the college administration.

“That’s going to be tougher for them to be able to develop the stories that they want to be able to tell and the stories that they need to tell about the college,” he said.

Jenna Davis, president of the Student Government Association, said she hopes that the college, “with all the press they have been doing,” continues to communicate with the community. 

“I think the college will continue to move forward and fill in these gaps there may be and adapt to make sure the college and student body thrive,” Davis said.

Additional reporting by Kate Julianne Larroder.

Copy edited by Katie Peters

Resumen en español 

Esta semana, Columbia eliminó su cargo de portavoz principal, Lambrini Lukidis, justo cuando busca reconfigurar la narrativa en torno a su actual crisis financiera. 

Lukidis se incorporó a la institución en 2018 bajo la dirección del expresidente y director ejecutivo Kwang-Wu Kim. Se desempeñó como portavoz durante eventos trascendentales en la universidad, incluida la pandemia de COVID-19 y la histórica huelga del profesorado a tiempo parcial en 2023. 

El jueves 23 de abril, el Chronicle contactó a Lukidis por mensaje de texto para realizar una consulta rutinaria; ella respondió que, de ahora en adelante los periodistas debían dirigirse a Adriel Hilton, vicepresidente de estrategia institucional y jefe de gabinete. Posteriormente, Lukidis confirmó que su cargo había sido eliminado. Hilton no respondió a las solicitudes de comentarios. 

Con la salida de Lukidis, la vicepresidenta de Asuntos Estudiantiles, Sharon Wilson-Taylor, es la única miembro del gabinete de Kim que permanece en la institución. Ni Lukidis ni Wilson-Taylor fueron designados para formar parte del gabinete de Bolton. 

Antes de llegar a Columbia, Lukidis fue directora de comunicaciones de las Reservas Forestales del Condado de Cook y representante de relaciones con los medios de la Autoridad de Tránsito de Chicago. 

Anteriormente, Lukidis trabajó como reportera de radiodifusión y presentadora de noticias. 

Jenna Davis, presidenta de la Asociación de Gobierno Estudiantil, expresó su esperanza de que la universidad “dada toda la labor de prensa que han estado realizando” continúe manteniendo la comunicación con la comunidad. 

“Creo que la universidad seguirá avanzando para subsanar las posibles brechas existentes y se adaptará para asegurar que tanto la institución como el cuerpo estudiantil prosperen”, afirmó Davis. 

Resumen por Anthony Hernandez

Editado por Brandon Anaya