Donna Shalala

Donna Shalala received her degree in history from Western College for Women and earned her Ph.D. from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. She served as President of Hunter College of the City University of New York from 1980 to 1987 and as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1987 to 1993.

Shalala began her career in public service as one of the country’s first Peace Corps volunteers in Iran. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter tapped her to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

In 1993, Shalala was nominated by President Bill Clinton to serve as Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), where she created, implemented, and oversaw the Children’s Health Insurance Program, currently covering over 7.6 million children. At the end of her eight-year tenure at HHS, a Washington Post article described her as “one of the most successful government managers of modern times.”

In 2007, President George W. Bush handpicked Shalala to co-chair with Senator Bob Dole the Commission on Care for Returning Wounded Warriors, to evaluate how wounded service members transition from active duty to civilian society. In 2008, President George W. Bush awarded Shalala the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor where she was recognized for her, “leadership and determination to ensure that all Americans can enjoy lives of hope, promise and dignity.”

From 2001 to 2015, Shalala served as the President of the University of Miami. During her tenure, the University solidified its position among top U.S. research universities. She continues to serve as the Trustee Professor of Political Science and Health Policy at the University of Miami. While on leave from the University of Miami, Shalala served as President of the Clinton Foundation from June 2015 to March 2017.