Helene Gayle Joins CSIS Board of Trustees

The Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) is pleased to announce that Helene D. Gayle, President and CEO of CARE USA, has become a member of the CSIS Board of Trustees. Dr. Gayle joins former Senator Sam Nunn (D-GA), former U.S. Ambassador to Great Britain Anne Armstrong, former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger and former National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski on the 42-member board.

"As a public servant, physician and a tireless advocate for the underprivileged, Helene Gayle has set a standard of excellence and leadership," said Sam Nunn, CSIS Board of Trustees Chairman. "We look forward to benefiting from her considerable expertise at CSIS."

As President and CEO of CARE USA, Helene D. Gayle is responsible for providing overall leadership, management and direction to one of the world’s premier international relief and development organizations. With programs in over 60 countries, CARE helps women and their families in poor communities expand the control they have over their own lives to advance positive, enduring social change. CARE’s community-based efforts help people recover from disasters, improve education and health, increase access to water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources.

Dr. Gayle was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. She received her B.A. from Barnard College of Columbia University, New York. She received her M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and M.P.H. from Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Gayle is board certified in Pediatrics, completing a residency in Pediatric Medicine at the Children's Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

After completing her residency, she entered the Epidemic Intelligence Service, a training program in epidemiology, at CDC, followed by a residency in Preventive Medicine and then remained at CDC for a career that spanned 20 years and a variety of positions, including the first director of the Director for the National Center for HIV, STD, and TB Prevention. Dr. Gayle also served as the AIDS Coordinator and Chief of the HIV/AIDS Division for the US Agency for International Development (USAID). She has been a health consultant to international agencies including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, the World Bank and UNAIDS and has worked extensively in Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Prior to assuming her current position, she was the Director of the HIV, TB and Reproductive Health Program for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, responsible for research, program and policies related to HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, reproductive health issues and tuberculosis for the foundation.

Dr. Gayle has published numerous articles on public health, especially related to HIV/AIDS and has received numerous awards, honorary degrees and other academic honors for her scientific and public health contributions. She attained the rank of Rear Admiral (Assistant Surgeon General) in the US Public Health Service and was named one of the Wall Street Journal’s 50 Women to Watch in 2006. She is also on the boards of the Institute of Medicine and the Council on Foreign Relations.

"We are honored to have a leader of such deep experience and strong values join the other distinguished members of the CSIS Board of Trustees," said CSIS President and CEO, Dr. John J. Hamre. "Helene Gayle is a strategic thinker who has had great impact on many lives worldwide. She will bring great vision to CSIS."