Gina S. Brown

Gina Spivey-Brown (born April 4, 1963) is an American nurse and academic administrator. In 2025, she became the 12th president of Oakwood University, the first woman to hold the position in the institution's 129-year history.

Gina Trevette Spivey was born in Norfolk, Virginia, on April 4, 1963.^[1] She attended Oakwood College, where she earned an Associate of Science in Nursing in 1984 and a B.S. in nursing and biology in 1985.^[1][2][3] She received a M.S. in administration with a focus on health services administration from Central Michigan University in 1989.^[1][4] Spivey-Brown completed her Ph.D. in nursing administration, with a specialization in policy and ethics, at George Mason University in 1999.^[1][4] Her dissertation was titled "Toward An Understanding Of Stress And Coping Mechanisms Experienced Among African American Males."^[1] Margaret Dear was her doctoral advisor.^[1]

Spivey-Brown began her career as a critical care nurse and held several positions in hospital administration, including nurse recruiter, nursing supervisor, and nurse consultant.^[1] She later moved into academia, holding a professorship at the School of Nursing at Loma Linda University for nearly four years.^[2][4] She then served as dean for the School of Health Professions, Science, and Wellness at Washington Adventist University.^[2][4] Spivey-Brown worked there for 12 years.^[2][4]

For ten years, Spivey-Brown was the Dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health Sciences at Howard University.^[2][3][5] At Howard University, she expanded graduate and undergraduate programs, secured multimillion-dollar grants, and strengthened accreditation standards.^[5] She developed nursing programs at institutions across the country and established international programs in Ghana, the Philippines, and Tanzania.^[2]

Spivey-Brown holds several professional designations, including registered nurse (RN), and is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN), the National Academies of Practice (FNAP), and the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing (FADLN) of the National Black Nurses Association.^[5] In 2023, she received the Gold Award from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.^[5] She serves as a commissioner for the National League for Nursing (NLN) Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation and as a consultant on program accreditation and healthcare disparities.^[2][5]

In March 2025, Spivey-Brown was appointed the 12th president of Oakwood University, a historically Black university in Huntsville, Alabama.^[4][5] She succeeded Leslie Pollard, who had led the university for 15 years.^[5] The appointment made her the first woman and the third non-clergy member to lead the institution in its 129-year history.^[4][5] She officially assumed the role on July 1, 2025, and her inauguration was held on September 26, 2025.^[3][5] In her first 86 days in office, Spivey-Brown led a fundraising campaign that raised over $500,000 in two weeks, which cleared 400 of the university's 1,200 students to register for classes.^[3] Her early tenure also focused on reviewing academic standards and addressing financial and cybersecurity issues by stabilizing the university's endowment and hiring IT experts.^[3]

She is married to Bronson Reed Brown II.^[1] They have a son and daughter.^[1] Both of her children are also graduates of Oakwood University.^[3]