Dr. Laura Gerald

President
Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust

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

At the Trust, she oversees grantmaking of $20 million annually from more than $600 million in assets. Under her leadership, the Trust announced in 2022 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 North Carolinians with low incomes.

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 opportunity and the support they need to thrive. Guided by Gerald’s strategic vision, the Trust team has set clear goals and strategies 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, she 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, on the Board of Trustees for Winston-Salem State University, 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.