Dear Howard University Community, 

As we continue to build on Howard University’s enduring legacy of excellence and seek to strengthen Howard for a new generation, I am pleased to announce that Howard University Board Trustee Leslie D. Hale (BBA ’94) has been elected as the new chair of Howard’s Board of Trustees. Chair Hale’s term began June 6, 2025, following her election during a full meeting of the Board of Trustees.

An accomplished alumna, pioneering business leader, and committed advocate for Howard, Chair Hale began serving on the board in 2013 and has served as vice chair since 2021. Over the years, she has chaired the board’s Finance Committee, Facilities and Real Estate Subcommittee, Investment Subcommittee, and several other entities, such as the School of Divinity’s Board of Visitors and the Howard University Hospital Ad Hoc Committee of the Board.
 
Chair Hale currently serves as the president and CEO of RLJ Lodging Trust, a leading hotel real estate investment trust that owns 96 hotels across the United States. Since joining RLJ in 2005, she has been instrumental in steering the company’s strategic direction, including leading the company’s initial public offering in 2011 and the landmark merger of two hospitality real estate investment trusts in 2017. She served as chief financial officer and later chief operating officer before assuming the position as CEO in 2018. Before RLJ, she held senior positions at GE and was an investment banker with Goldman Sachs & Co., advising on mergers, acquisitions, and corporate finance.
 
Chair Hale graduated summa cum laude from Howard with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School as a Goldman Sachs and Toigo Fellow. She serves on the boards of directors of RLJ Lodging Trust and Delta Airlines Inc. and serves as chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Baltimore Branch. Her journey reflects Howard’s enduring legacy of developing visionary leaders who serve at the highest levels of industry and society.

In response to her appointment, Chair Hale said the following:

“It is no exaggeration to say that Howard University has shaped the course of history, and it is certainly no exaggeration to say that this institution has profoundly shaped my life and career. It is an honor and a privilege to continue my service to Howard as chair of the board, and I look forward to working with Howard’s world-class faculty, administrators, and students to uphold Howard’s legacy of excellence.”

Our administration looks forward to partnering closely with Chair Hale as we continue to advance Howard’s mission and deepen our commitment to academic excellence, research innovation, and service to our community and the world.

As we welcome Chair Hale into this new chapter of service, we also take this moment to express our profound gratitude to Laurence C. Morse, Ph.D. (B.A. ’73), who has retired from the Board of Trustees after 11 years of extraordinary service, including his tenure as chair from July 1, 2020 to June 6, 2025. His outstanding leadership and contributions to Howard University as an alum and his vision and stewardship as board chair have uplifted not only our institution but our entire community.

Please join me in congratulating Chair Hale on her appointment and in thanking Dr. Morse for his remarkable dedication and service to Howard University.

Committed to Truth and Service,

Ben Vinson III, Ph.D.
President