#2022atSpelman: On July 1, 2022, Helene Gayle, M.D., MPH, began her tenure as the 11th president of Spelman College. “Spelman has a strong history of changing lives for people who will change lives. 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,” said Dr. Gayle. Before coming to Spelman, Dr. Gayle served as president and CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation's oldest and largest community foundations. Under her leadership, the Trust grew its assets from roughly $2.8B to $4.7 billion and adopted a strategic plan aimed at closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap. Dr. Gayle is an epidemiologist who also spent 20 years at the Centers for Disease Control, working primarily on HIV/AIDS and at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with a focus on global public health. She serves on several public and nonprofit boards, including The Coca-Cola Company, Organon & Co a women’s health care company, Palo Alto Networks a cybersecurity company, and the Brookings Institution. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Learn more about Dr. Gayle via the link in our bio.