Dr. Laura Gerald named Spring Commencement speaker at UNC Pembroke

PEMBROKE – Dr. Laura Gerald, president of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, will be the keynote speaker for UNC Pembroke’s Spring Commencement ceremonies on May 9 and May 10.

Dr. Gerald leads one of North Carolina’s largest private foundations. A pediatrician born and raised in Lumberton, Gerald joined the trust in 2016, bringing decades of leadership experience in the private, public and nonprofit sectors to the foundation.

“It is an honor to welcome Dr. Laura Gerald to deliver this year’s commencement address,” said Chancellor Robin Gary Cummings, MD. “Her deep roots in rural North Carolina, combined with her extraordinary commitment to health equity and community transformation, make her a powerful voice of inspiration for our graduates. Dr. Gerald’s journey is a shining example of what it means to serve with purpose, lead with compassion, and make a meaningful impact in the world,” Cummings said.

Gerald will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters during a special presentation at the undergraduate exercise on Saturday, May 10. At the trust, she oversees grantmaking of $20 million annually from more than $600 million in assets. In 2022, under her leadership, the trust announced that it would divest from tobacco and invest $100 million of the foundation’s corpus in socially responsible funds that support economic opportunity for residents of North Carolina. The announcement coincided with the trust’s 75th anniversary and further aligned trust resources with Mrs. Reynolds’ vision of improving the health and quality of life of low-income North Carolinians.

Since Dr. Gerald joined the foundation, the trust has deepened its commitment to racial equity and systems change to ensure all people — especially residents of color and communities that have been historically marginalized — have full access to the opportunities and support they need to thrive. Guided by Gerald’s strategic vision, the trust team has set clear goals around bodies of work focused on improving rural health, increasing equitable access to health care and improving equitable health systems around the state.

After medical school, Gerald began her career as a pediatrician in her hometown of Lumberton. From there, she focused on statewide health improvement. She served as the executive director of the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission, which awarded millions in grants statewide annually to decrease tobacco use and increase healthy eating and active living.

In 2014, Gerald was appointed to be the North Carolina State health director and the Division of Public Health director, where she prioritized the importance of addressing social determinants of health to improve health outcomes across the state. She went on to work with Evolent Health to assist health systems across the country that are transforming healthcare delivery on a pathway to more value-based care.

Gerald is a North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics graduate and holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, a medical degree from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University School of Public Health. She is the board chair of Grantmakers in Health, a Winston-Salem State University trustee and adjunct faculty at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. Gerald is a board-certified pediatrician and fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The Graduate School commencement ceremony will occur on Friday, May 9, at 7 p.m. and undergraduate commencement on Saturday, May 10, at 9 a.m. Both ceremonies will be held at the Quad, between Mary Livermore Library and Old Main. The ceremonies will be available on livestream, and a reception for the graduates and their guests will follow each ceremony.