Gailda Pitre Davis serves as assistant vice president and chief of staff in the Learning and Engagement division. In this capacity, she is a strategic advisor to and collaborates with the senior vice president (SVP) and other organizational leaders on the administrative and operational management of the division. Prior to this, Davis served as the principal liaison to the ACE Women's Network, a national network that supports women in higher education faculty and administration, and led the development and implementation of several professional learning programs at ACE. She also served as the principal investigator for the Creating Global Citizens: Exploring Internationalization at Historically Black Colleges and Universities initiative as well as the co-leader of ACE's At Home in the World initiative.
With over 20 years of higher education experience, Davis is an accomplished author and sought-after speaker and advisor on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, women’s leadership, and leadership development. Davis is chair of the Women’s Leadership Institute Advisory Board at the College of Saint Rose. She served for 10 years on the District of Columbia's Higher Education Licensure Commission, the regulatory body for all postsecondary institutions in Washington, DC, and was chair of that body from 2014 to 2016. She has also served as an adjunct faculty member in the Higher Education Administration program at The George Washington University.
Prior to joining ACE, Davis was the program director for a nonprofit organization that supports college preparation for eighth- to 12th-grade students. She has significant experience within higher education administration, having served as a dean of students, director of student activities, pre-college program director, residence hall director, and career counselor.
Davis's academic credentials include an EdD from The George Washington University in higher education administration, an MEd from Texas State University-San Marcos in counseling and guidance with a focus on student affairs, and a BS from The University of Texas at Austin in child development and family relationships. She also holds a certificate in coaching from the Association of Talent Development.