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Helene Gayle
Helene Gayle 2018.jpg
Gayle in 2018
11th President of Spelman College
Assumed office
July 1, 2022
Preceded by Mary Schmidt Campbell
Personal details
Born (1955-08-16) August 16, 1955 (age 69)
Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Spouse Stephen Keith
Education Barnard College (BA)
University of Pennsylvania (MD)
Johns Hopkins University (MPH)

Helene D. Gayle (born August 16, 1955) is an American physician, and academic and non-profit administrator. She has been president of Spelman College since 2023. She formerly was CEO of the Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation's leading community foundations. Earlier in her career she was the director of international humanitarian organization CARE, and spent much of her career in the field of public health research in epidemiology at the CDC.

Early life and education

Helene Gayle was born in Buffalo, New York, to Jacob Gayle, a small-business owner, and Marietta Gayle, a social worker. She attended Barnard College, from which she graduated with honors with a B.A. in psychology in 1976. She earned an M.D. at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and an M.P.H. at Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health (now the Bloomberg School).

Gayle is board certified in pediatrics, having completed a residency in pediatric medicine at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Gayle completed a second residency in preventive medicine at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

Career

Beginning in 1984, Gayle spent 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), focusing on global health and infectious disease prevention and control, especially HIV/AIDS. On assignment from CDC from 1992 to 1994, Gayle was the AIDS coordinator and chief of the HIV/AIDS Division at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). In 1995, she was appointed as the first director of the newly created National Center on HIV, TB and STD Prevention (NCHSTP).  During that time, she was named an Assistant Surgeon General and Rear Admiral in the United States Public Health Service.

Initially on loan from the CDC, she directed the HIV, TB, and Reproductive Health Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation from 2001 to 2006. During her 5 years as director, she was responsible for research, policy, public awareness, and programs on HIV/AIDS, TB, STDs and reproductive health around the world.  

Gayle was president and CEO of the international humanitarian organization CARE from 2006 to 2015. She led efforts to empower girls and women around the world to bring lasting change to poor communities. Under her leadership, CARE strengthened its focus on advocacy efforts and policy work to have a long-term impact on reducing poverty across the globe. Under her leadership, Gayle introduced signature programs that focused on financial inclusion, maternal health and improving girls' access to quality primary education.

From 2015 to 2017, Gayle was president and CEO of McKinsey Social Initiative (now McKinsey.org), a nonprofit that brings together diverse stakeholders to address complex global social challenges.  

In 2017, Gayle became CEO of the Chicago Community Trust (the Trust), one of the nation's oldest and largest community foundations. Under her leadership, the trust adopted a new strategic focus on closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap in the Chicago region. The three-part strategy to close this gap centers around growing household wealth, catalyzing neighborhood investment and building collective power. Gayle is recognized internationally as an expert on health, global development, and humanitarian issues. She was named one of Forbes' "100 Most Powerful Women," one of NonProfit Times' "Power and Influence Top 50," and of Chicago Magazine's "Chicago's 50 Most Powerful Women." She been featured by media outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, ForbesWoman, Glamour, O magazine, National Public Radio, and CNN.

Gayle has received 18 honorary degrees and held affiliate and adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Washington and Emory University She has published numerous scientific articles on global and domestic public health issues, poverty alleviation, gender equality, and social justice. 

On April 25, 2022, it was announced that Gayle was a candidate to succeed Mary Schmidt Campbell as the 11th president of liberal arts HBCU Spelman College. She began her official tenure on May 1, 2023.

On 23 May 2024, Gayle was among the guests invited to the state dinner hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden in honor of President William Ruto at the White House.

Other activities

Corporate boards

Non-profit organisations

  • Center for Strategic and International Studies Board of Trustees, 2007 – present
  • ONE Board, 2006 – present
  • Rockefeller Foundation Board of Trustees, 2009 – present
  • Brookings Institution, 2015–present
  • New America, 2013 – present
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Board Chair, 2019 – 2022
  • Economic Club of Chicago , 2019 –
  • Inter-American Dialogue, 2018 – present

Professional society memberships

  • Council on Foreign Relations
  • Institute of Medicine
  • Delta Omega Society
  • American Public Health Association
  • National Medical Association
  • American Medical Women's Association
  • Society for Public Health Education

Recognition

Honorary degrees

Awards and honors

  • Teachers College, Columbia University, Medal for Distinguished Service, 2018
  • Johns Hopkins University Society of Scholars, inducted 2017
  • American Public Health Association Presidential Citation Award, 2015
  • WNBA Inspiration Award, 2015
  • Jimmy and Rosslyn Carter Humanitarian Award, National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, 2012
  • Forbes Magazine 100 Most Powerful Women, 2014
  • The NonProfit Times Power and Influence Top 50, 2011
  • Bryn Mawr College, Katharine Hepburn Award, 2011
  • AARP Inspire Award, 2010
  • Bennett High Alumni Honor Roll, 2010
  • Georgia State University, Ethics Advocate Award, 2009
  • Business to Business Magazine, Women of Excellence Award, 2009
  • 100 Most Influential Atlantans Award, 2009
  • Ivan Allen College, Georgia Institute of Technology, Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage, 2009
  • South African Partners, Desmond Tutu Award, 2009
  • Morehouse College, Coca-Cola Leadership Award, 2008
  • Americans for Informed Democracy, Innovator in International Development Award, 2008
  • Cable Positive, Humanitarian of the Year Award, 2008
  • Wall Street Journal, "50 Women to Watch", 2006
  • Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal, 2006
  • Helen H. Jackson, Woman of Valor Award, 2006
  • Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, Leadership in Global Medicine Award, 2005
  • Women of Color, Health Science & Technology Awards: Medical Leadership in Industry, 2002
  • National Medical Association, Scroll of Merit Award, 2000
  • Women Looking Ahead, Inc., The Women Looking Ahead (WLA) 100s List Award, 1999
  • 100 Black Men of America, Inc., Woman of the Year Award, 1999
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary's Award for Distinguished Service, 1999, 2001
  • Atlanta Business League, Women of Influence Award, 1998
  • Public Health Service Foreign Duty Award, 1997
  • Public Health Service Meritorious Service Medal, 1996
  • Columbia University Medal of Excellence, 1996
  • National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Service Award, 1999
  • Who's Who Among Black Americans, 1990, 1993 and 1994

See also

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