Gregory Haile

Senior Fellow M-RCBG at the Harvard Kennedy School & Former College President

Gregory Haile

Senior Fellow M-RCBG at the Harvard Kennedy School & Former College President

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Biography

When Gregory Haile was growing up in a violent neighborhood in South Jamaica, Queens, NY, he never dreamed of going to a university. In fact, he only heard of higher education once a classmate mentioned it in the sixth grade. Not only did Gregory Haile go to college, but he also ended up becoming one of America's most successful college presidents at one of our largest colleges. Haile continues his climb and today serves as the Deputy Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and as a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School.

For Haile, the pathway to success started with incredible drive, a need to grow and a secret weapon: a very loving and persistent mom who insisted that he could overcome any barrier. So, despite having to travel an hour to get to a better school for his elementary and middle school education and attending one of the most dangerous schools in the city for high school, Haile excelled. That led to attending Arizona State University, where he graduated magna cum laude and was recognized as the most outstanding graduate in his college, and Columbia University School of Law, where he served as the editor-in-chief of the National Black Law Journal and as an editor of the Journal on Gender and Law and was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar.

With his exceptional leadership experience in both the public and private sectors, Haile became the president of Broward College, one of the largest colleges in the United States with nearly 60,000 students, more than 4,000 employees, a $300 million annual budget, 2.7 million square feet of office and learning space and over 300 acres of land, in 2018.

While president, he was recognized as one of the top five community college CEOs in the nation, and he led the college to a top 10 ranking (from more than one thousand colleges) by the Aspen Institute at every eligible year under his tenure. Before becoming the college’s president, Haile served as the school’s first chief legal officer. He was also the vice president for public policy and government affairs (overseeing local, state, and federal government affairs).

He began his career as a class action securities litigator at one of the world’s largest law firms. In addition, he has served in over 40 board or committee capacities and more than 20 chair or vice chair capacities. He has led numerous audit, governance and finance committees. His board governance experience includes a unique and expansive combination of service to government, non-profit and for-profit entities.

Haile is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Young President's Organization and the Sigma PI Phi Alpha Rho Boule. He also recently served on the U.S.-EU Talent for Growth Task Force. The Task Force was co-chaired by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Secretary of State and brought together six American leaders from business, labor and education to collaborate with counterparts from the European Union and build on existing initiatives from both sides of the Atlantic, exchange best practices and serve as a catalyst for advancing human capital.

Haile has taught Higher Education Law and Policy at Harvard University (Summer School) and is the recipient of more than 50 honors and awards, including repeated recognition as one of the top 500 business leaders in the state of Florida. He received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Nova Southeastern University and is also a fellow of the Vanderbilt University Higher Education Management Institute.

Board seats previously or currently held by Haile include:

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (current) supports the formulation of monetary policy and provides oversight for Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank operations and over $500 billion in assets. Haile currently serves as the Deputy Chair of the Bank and is the first educator to serve as Deputy Chair of the Bank in approximately 70 years. His service as the Chair is anticipated to begin on January 1, 2025. Haile also chairs the Audit & Operational Risk Committee and serves on the Benefits Advisory Committee for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
BBX Capital, Inc. (current), a diversified holding company whose principal investments include BBX Capital Real Estate, BBX Sweet Holdings, and Renin, with a market cap of more than $120 million. Haile is a member of the audit and governance committees.
Achieving the Dream (current) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit dedicated to supporting community colleges throughout America with a focus on equitable opportunity and outcomes. Haile serves on the governance committee.
Free the Slaves, a Washington D.C.-based non-profit that has led the fight against human trafficking worldwide, working in the Americas, Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific. Haile served as the Board Chair.
Leadership Florida is a statewide membership organization designed to enhance the leadership skills of more than three thousand influential C-suite leaders throughout the State of Florida. Haile served as the Board Chair and previously chaired the audit and governance committees.

Speaker Videos

GREGORY HAILE COSMOS KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Broward College President Haile | YSF

President Gregory Haile: The 7 Most Fascinating People of South Florida 2020

Speech Topics

The Transformative Power of Education

Although raised in a loving home by his mother and stepfather, growing up for Gregory Haile wasn’t easy. He lived in a dangerous neighborhood surrounded by crime. He traveled more than an hour to get to elementary and middle school and attended one of the most dangerous high schools in New York City. And yet, he not only graduated magna cum laude at Arizona State University but also Columbia University School of Law. All the while, he never lost his love of learning or the realization that too many Americans are unable to gain access to higher education. The latter led to his amazing career in academia and helped thousands of students get the same opportunities he experienced. In this truly inspirational talk, Haile shares his story, from overcoming adversity to his profound dedication to learning to his tireless efforts to expand access to education and create opportunities for all individuals, regardless of their background or circumstances. His speech is a call to action for those who want to continue to transform education and empower students to be the best they can be.

Redefining Access: The Power of Proximity

When accepting the position of president of Broward College, Gregory Haile had one major goal in mind: He wanted the institution to do a far better job of making sure that it reached those who had the greatest challenges—something he was deeply familiar with and passionate about because of his own struggles to have access to a good education. And that is exactly what he did. In this talk, Haile shares his journey of rebuilding the model of post-secondary education, especially for low-income families; how the school was able to reach thousands of students who attended school at no cost; and empowering students to overcome obstacles, fulfill their potential and achieve academic success.

Bridging the Talent Gap in the Global Tech Industry

Gregory Haile serves as a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government at the Harvard Kennedy School, where he focuses on the intersection of three key elements of American national security—economic mobility, engaging low-income and marginalized communities to support our nation's workforce needs—and AI. In 2023, Haile began working with the U.S.-EU Talent for Growth Task Force. The Task Force was co-chaired by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Secretary of State, and it brought together six American leaders from business, labor and education to collaborate with counterparts from the European Union. Their goal is to ensure that the EU and U.S. have enough talent to work in the tech industry, especially A.I. In this talk, Haile discusses how we can combat the shortage of employees; why we need to exchange best practices; and what is needed for the future, so we can compete with the rest of the world.

Leading With Purpose

Drawing from his extensive experience in guiding organizations to success, Gregory Haile dives deep into what it means to be a true leader—one who has the ability to inspire others toward a common purpose. In this talk, he’ll share stories of his own personal journey, the tough decisions he had to make, why mission and your personal values are so important, the essential components of effective leadership and how to develop the skills to bring out the best in others. Haile will empower you to embrace your role as a leader and become a catalyst for positive transformation in your community and beyond.