Helene D. Gayle

Helene D. Gayle (born August 16, 1955), is an American doctor who is the CEO of The Chicago Community Trust, one of the nation's leading community foundations. For over 100 years, The Chicago Community Trust has mobilized people, ideas, organizations and resources to advance equity, opportunity and prosperity for all. 
Biography.
Helene Gayle was born in Buffalo, NY to Jacob Gayle, a small-business owner and Marietta Gayle a social worker. She attended Barnard College of Columbia University, from which she graduated with honors with a B.A. in psychology. 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)  She is board certified in pediatrics, completing 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.   
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 served as 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 has been 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. 
Gayle has received 18 honorary degrees and holds faculty appointments at the University of Washington and Emory University She has published numerous scientific articles on global and domestic public health issues, poverty alleviation, gender equality, and social justice.  