Spelman College president stepping down after leave of absence
Helene Gayle, president of Spelman College, in Atlanta on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023.(Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Spelman College President Dr. Helene Gayle is stepping down from her position after going on personal leave last month.
The Atlanta college announced in October that Gayle would be "taking a personal leave of absence effective immediately." Spelman College did not give a reason for Gayle’s leave.
On Thursday, the school made the announcement that Gayle would not return to college.
While the school looks for a new president, Roz Brewer will continue to serve on an interim basis.
"I join the trustees in extending my gratitude to Dr. Gayle for her service to this amazing institution," Brewer said in a video posted on the college's X account. "I'm also excited to continue my service as your interim president."
Gayle became Spelman’s president in 2022 after former president Mary Schmidt Campbell retired. The school is part of the Atlanta University Center, a consortium of four historically Black schools.
Before working at Spelman, Gayle was president of the Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation’s largest community foundations. She is also an epidemiologist who spent decades fighting AIDS and HIV and led an international anti-poverty group.
Brewer had been involved in overseeing the college for 17 years. She spent 12 years as board chair, where she worked with three Spelman presidents and chaired the two most successful fundraising campaigns in the college’s history. She also previously served as president and CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance, chief operating officer of Starbucks and CEO of Sam’s Club.