Helene D. Gayle (born August 16, 1955) is an American physician, and academic and non-profit administrator. She was president of Spelman College until 2024. 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.
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Early life and education
Helene Gayle was born in Buffalo, New York, to Jacob Astor Gayle, a small-business owner, and Marietta Spiller Dabney Gayle, a social worker. She attended Court Street Elementary School and Lancaster Middle School in Lancaster, New York, and in Buffalo, graduated with honors from Woodlawn Junior High School and Bennett High School (Class of 1972). After high school, Gayle attended Baldwin-Wallace College and Barnard College of Columbia University, from which she received a B.A. degree with honors 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.
Other activities
Corporate boards
Palo Alto Networks, Effective May 25, 2021
Coca-Cola, 2013 – present
Colgate-Palmolive Board, 2010 – present
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 Archived June 12, 2021, at the Wayback Machine, 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
American University, Doctor of Science, 2018
Xavier University of Louisiana, Doctor of Science, 2016
University of Buffalo, Doctor of Science, 2016
University of Miami, Doctor of Science, 2013
Oberlin College, Doctor of Science, 2011
Colby College, Doctor of Humane Letters, 2010
Columbia University, Doctor of Laws, 2009
Agnes Scott College, Doctor of Science, 2009
Brandeis University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 2008
Morehouse School of Medicine, Doctor of Science, 2008
Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 2008
Duke University, Doctor of Science, 2008
Meharry Medical College, Doctor of Science 2007
Smith College, Doctor of Science, 2007
Pennsylvania State University, Doctor of Science, 2004
Jackson State University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 2004
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