Dr. Helene Gayle, President of Spelman, Taking Leave Of Absence

Dr. Gayle's position will be filled by interim president Roz Brewer.

According to a public statement released by Atlanta’s Spelman College, the current President, Dr. Helene Gayle, is taking a personal leave of absence. It will begin immediately.

The HBCU released a statement assuring the public that everything will continue to run smoothly following the change, according to WSBTV. It read, “On Friday, October 18, the Spelman College Board of Trustees announced that President Helene Gayle, M.D., MPH, will be taking a personal leave of absence effective immediately. In her absence, Roz Brewer, C’84, and Chair Emerita at Spelman College has assumed day-to-day duties as Interim President, supported by our executive team.”

The statement continued, “We can assure you that Spelman will continue to operate seamlessly moving forward in the spirit of our core values of care, commitment, integrity, reliability, and trust. Our utmost priority remains the well-being of everyone in our community, as we strive to cultivate confident, responsible, and accountable students committed to personal development and success.”

Roz Brewer has involved with Spelman for 17 years and served much of her time with the HBCU as the Chair of the Board of Trustees. She has worked with three Spelman presidents as acting chair during two of the college’s most successful fundraising campaigns.

A letter to the school’s board explained, “Roz played a significant role in the oversight of the College for seventeen years, including twelve as Chair of the Board of Trustees, before retiring in May 2023. During her tenure on the Board, she worked with three presidents and chaired the two most successful fundraising campaigns in the College’s history.”

Dr. Gayle was appointed as the president of Spelman College after her predecessor, Mary Schmidt Campbell, retired in 2022, but before taking up the position, Gayle was still serving the community. Gayle was the president of one of the United States’ largest community foundations, the Chicago Community Trust, before her move to Spelman. Outside of her leadership roles, Gayle is an epidemiologist and spent most of her academic years leading an anti-poverty group on an international level and fighting against AIDS and HIV with her degree.