Helene Gayle Becomes New President of Spelman College

The head of one of Chicago’s largest foundations is stepping down to be president of Spelman College.

Spelman College Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Dr. Helene D. Gayle, a public health leader, as the 11th president of the historically Black women’s liberal arts college.

On July 1, Gayle will start her presidency, succeeding Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, who will retire this year after leading Spelman since 2015.

Helene Gayle announced Monday that she is leaving The Chicago Community Trust in June to lead the historically Black women’s college in Atlanta. She said she thought leading the Trust would be her last job but she couldn’t turn down “the opportunity to continue a legacy of shaping the lives of young women of African descent, many of whom have gone on to have illustrious careers.”

Under her leadership, Gayle shifted the foundation’s focus to advancing racial equity and guiding community groups through the pandemic.

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Gayle mobilized the foundation’s response within days by managing a COVID-19 relief fund. According to Trust leadership, assets grew from roughly $2.8 billion to $4.7 billion during her tenure. Last year, $1.7 billion in grants were made through the Trust and affiliated donor-advised programs. In addition, the foundation adopted a 10-year strategic plan to address wealth inequity in the region, built a new policy team and changed how it conducted grantmaking.

Spelman’s Presidential Search Committee reviewed about 300 nominees before deciding on Gayle, impressed by her financial stewardship and growth at complex institutions.

“This is a moment where HBCUs are once again being recognized for the importance that they bring to every sector of this country,” said Gayle in a statement. “The idea of giving back to generations of students through cutting-edge academic programs and facilities, increasing college affordability, raising financial aid support and increasing the endowment, and developing new career pathways and opportunities is what invigorates and excites me about this new role.”

Before The Chicago Community Trust, Gayle spent almost a decade as president and CEO of CARE, an international humanitarian organization tackling poverty, especially among women and girls. She also worked for 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control with a focus on HIV/AIDS, and she advanced global public health at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Gayle’s STEM background further made her a top choice. Spelman, which is home to about 2,100 students, is the country’s leading producer of Black women who receive doctorates in STEM areas. Recently, the college received a U.S. Department of Defense designation as a Center of Excellence for Minority Women in STEM.