ATLANTA – State Representative Mesha Mainor (D-Atlanta) welcomes and congratulates Dr. Helene D. Gayle, who was recently selected as the 11th president of Spelman College. Rep. Mainor recently attended an event at Spelman College in which current Spelman President Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell introduced Dr. Gayle to the community. Dr. Gayle’s presidency will begin on July 1, 2022.
Rep. Mainor previously worked alongside Dr. Gayle during her time as assistant surgeon general and rear admiral in the United States Public Health Service; the two also worked together at the Centers for Disease Control. Rep. Mainor has also worked diligently with The Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC) and looks forward to working with Dr. Gayle again.
Rep. Mainor offered the following statement about Dr. Gayle’s presidency:
“I worked as Dr. Gayle’s speech writer while she was the assistant surgeon general. It was my first job out of college. Her mentorship and work ethic contributed significantly to who I am today.
“Being unprofessional is never an option in a work setting. Disrespecting colleagues and workplace bullying were foreign to me until I entered into an elected position.
“To start my career with Dr. Gayle in public service to finishing my first term as an elected leader and having the opportunity to work with her again is promising and enlightening.
“I worked tirelessly this past session to help the AUCC with its public safety initiatives to protect students. The Unified Public Safety Act for colleges and universities passed the House and the Senate with bipartisan participation.
“Dr. Gayle is a global figure. I remember sitting in a limousine with her after an event when she told me she was resigning from her surgeon general position and going to work with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She went on to lead CARE and the Chicago Community Trust after that.
“Today she is at the helm of the nation’s first university or college for African-American women, Spelman College. Since Spelman’s founding in 1881, the plight of women, and African American women even more so, have improved, but there isn’t a mountain top viewpoint yet.
“I’m extremely honored that Dr. Gayle is now a constituent, and I am once again at her service for the greater good. And, this is impeccable timing as the Women in Politics Symposium will be held at the Georgia State Capitol on May 10 to discuss the challenges women face in our communities.
“Mrs. Charlayne Hunter-Gault, the first African- American woman to desegregate the University System of Georgia in 1961, is one of the Women in Politics panelists. Coincidentally, I just found out she is also very good friends with Dr. Gayle and is also extremely happy with Spelman’s decision for its next president.”
*Editor’s note: attached are photos of Rep. Mainor and Dr. Gayle at Spelman College when Dr. Gayle was selected as the college’s next president.
Representative Mesha Mainor represents the citizens on District 56, which includes portions of Fulton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and currently serves on the Education, Governmental Affairs and State Planning & Community Affairs committees.
###