This week, the news was freshly announced, and it’s a game-changing move for Gayle.

Specifically, while she thought that leading the CCT would be her forever job, she couldn’t pass up “the opportunity to continue a legacy of shaping the lives of young women of African descent, many of whom have gone on to have illustrious careers.”

During her time at the CCT, Gayle was committed to “closing the racial and ethnic wealth gap.” It’s also worth noting that Gayle, the first Black woman to lead the 107-year-old organization, helped amp up the CCT’s assets by nearly $2 billion.

“Chicago welcomed me so warmly. This is a city that bleeds Chicago and cares about its neighbors. And even though this is a city that is still deeply divided, there really is a sense of deep caring for the city. It’s got an incredible civic footprint, a civic community that pulls together in ways I’ve never seen in any of the cities,” Gayle said of the Windy City.

…working alongside a highly engaged civic community, a legion of philanthropic innovators, and passionate community residents to close the racial and ethnic wealth gap, address our region’s critical needs and connect our donors’ philanthropy to impact. #Chicago

— The Chicago Community Trust (@ChiTrust) April 25, 2022

Before Gayle joined the CCT, she used her expertise as a public health doctor to lead a humanitarian organization called CARE. She also spent about two decades working on HIV/AIDS research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gayle’s presidency will officially begin July 1, making her the Atlanta-based HBCU‘s 11th president. She will succeed Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, who announced her retirement back in August.

“I have loved every minute of serving as the president of this phenomenal institution and am proud to retire having made meaningful impacts on our academic strength, financial future and physical campus,” Campbell said.