Spelman College President Dr. Helene D. Gayle is taking a personal leave of absence, the nation’s top-rated historically Black college announced Friday.
Spelman College did not give a reason for Gayle’s leave, but said in a statement it is “effective immediately.” Rosalind “Roz” Brewer, the former chair of the school’s board of trustees and a limited partner with the Atlanta Falcons, has assumed day-to-day duties as interim president.
“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,” the school said.
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.
