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 worked in the field of
public health programs at the
CDC.
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).[1] In 1995, she was appointed as the first director of the newly created National Center on HIV, TB and STD Prevention (NCHSTP).[2] During that time, she was named an Assistant Surgeon General and Rear Admiral in the United States Public Health Service.[3]
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.[1] 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.[4] 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."[5] 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.[6]
On April 25, 2022, it was announced that Gayle was a candidate to succeed
Mary Schmidt Campbell as the 11th president of liberal arts
HBCUSpelman College. She began her official tenure on May 1, 2023.