UNCF Leader to Step Down After 12 Years at the HelmATLANTA
After more than two decades as president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, Dr. William H. Gray will retire in March, at the end of the organization’s fiscal year.
Gray, 62, made his announcement earlier this month at the fall meeting of UNCF’s 39 college presidents in Atlanta.
“For the last 12 years, I have had the wonderful opportunity of working with a dedicated group of college presidents, corporate board members and staff to provide resources and educational opportunity for hundreds of thousands of students,” Gray said. “It is now time to retire, spend more time with my family and conclude my parish ministry.”
Gray, who joined UNCF in 1991, will have raised more than $1.54 billion for the organization, accounting for approximately 70 percent of the more than $2.2 billion that has been raised over UNCF’s 60-year history.
He also significantly increased the number of scholarship programs administered by UNCF. When he joined UNCF, it administered 105 programs; today there are more than 450. UNCF currently supports more than 65,000 students at over 950 colleges and universities across the country.
“I think I speak for everyone in the higher education community when I say that Bill Gray’s enthusiasm and dedication to guaranteeing educational opportunities for every deserving student were two of the keys to his success,” says Dr. Dorothy Yancy, president of UNCF member institution Johnson C. Smith University and vice chair of UNCF member presidents.
Gray launched several initiatives during his career such as completing a $280 million capital campaign and securing the contract to administer the $1 billion Gates Millennium Scholars Program established by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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