Weber Shandwick Chairman Jack Leslie Named Chairman of DGHI’s Board of Advisors

Jack_Leslie

Jack Leslie, newly-appointed chairman of the DGHI Board of Advisors

Published April 12, 2016, last updated on April 19, 2016

Jack Leslie, chairman of Weber Shandwick, has been named chair of the Duke Global Health Institute’s (DGHI) Board of Advisors. Leslie has served as a member of the board for the past seven years.

“We are honored to have someone with Jack’s global health experience lead our Board of Advisors,” said Michael Merson, director of DGHI. “For the better part of a decade, he has provided valuable counsel to us on a host of critical issues related to our mission. His commitment to Duke University and to advancing the cause of global health will be of great benefit to DGHI in the coming months and years.”

As the chairman of Weber Shandwick, one of the world’s leading global communications and engagement firms, Leslie brings more than 30 years of strategic communication and stakeholder engagement to DGHI’s Board of Advisors. 

In 2009, Leslie was appointed by President Obama to serve as chairman of the Board of Directors of the U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF). Leslie is also:

  • A member of the Council on Foreign Relations
  • Chairman of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid
  • Chairman of the Ron Brown Scholar Program
  • Former chairman of the Board of USA for UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency)
  • A member of the Board of Directors of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

“Much of the recent progress that’s been made in global health is due to the incredible work coming out of the Duke Global Health Institute,” said Leslie. “It’s been a pleasure serving on DGHI’s board and will be an honor to take on this new leadership role for the organization.”

Outgoing Chairman Thomas Gorrie Recognized for Past Seven Years of Service

Leslie replaces Thomas Gorrie, who has served as board chair since 2010. Gorrie was corporate vice president of government affairs and policy at Johnson & Johnson. 

Tom has been a committed volunteer at Duke University and Duke Health for more than 25 years. He is a member of the Duke University Board of Trustees, the Duke Medicine Board of Visitors and the Duke Kunshan University Board. He will remain on the DGHI Board of Advisors for the next two years.

At the April 6 Board of Advisors meeting, Duke University President Richard Brodhead and Michael Merson recognized Gorrie’s leadership as the inaugural chair. 

“I am very grateful to Tom for his leadership,” said Merson. “He has been integral to the formation and success of the DGHI Board of Advisors through his extensive knowledge of Duke University and Duke Health.”

Gorrie and his wife, Meg, were among the first major donors to the Institute, supporting the Duke/Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre partnership in Moshi, Tanzania, and later providing scholarship support for international students in DGHI’s Master of Science in Global Health program.

[Jack's] commitment to Duke University and to advancing the cause of global health will be of great benefit to DGHI in the coming months and years.

Michael Merson, DGHI director