Oakwood University welcomes its first female president, Gina Spivey-Brown, Ph.D., M.S.A., R.N., FAAN, FNAP, whose mission blends tradition, innovation, and faith.
On a sunlit Friday morning, Oakwood University’s campus in Huntsville, Alabama, was alive with excitement. Students, faculty, alumni, and dignitaries from across the country gathered to witness history — the inauguration of Gina Spivey-Brown, Ph.D., the 12th president of Oakwood University. It was a moment rich in tradition yet filled with the promise of fresh vision. The ceremony began with the solemn procession of faculty and administrators, their academic robes flowing as Mendelssohn’s “War March of the Priests” rang out. Symbols of centuries-old academic heritage — the mace, the medallion, the chain of office — were carried forward, marking the sacred transfer of authority. And, when Brown stood at the podium, she did more than accept regalia. She embraced a calling. For the first time in Oakwood’s storied history, the University entrusted its leadership to a woman. Yet, in her characteristically humble way, Brown brushed aside the emphasis on “firsts.” “It was never about setting a bar,” she told the audience. “It was always about asking God: ‘Are You sending me back to serve my alma mater with the skills You have given me?’”
A Reluctant Leader
Brown never set out to be a trailblazer. In fact, she often ran from opportunities to lead. Over the years, she was offered presidencies at hospitals and universities, but each time she balked. “I was like the runaway bride,” she laughs. “I would get right to the altar and then — no. I just couldn’t do it.” Her turning point came at Howard University, where she served as a dean. Howard, she recalls, was both a challenge and a gift: “It had all the complexities of an HBCU — funding struggles, structural issues, community demands — but it was also a place of progress. We doubled enrollment. We launched new programs. It was rewarding.” Then came the nudge she could not ignore. “One day, I was celebrating what God had allowed us to accomplish,” she remembers. “And the Lord said, ‘Don’t get too comfortable. You must go back and work for the Church one day.’” The thought made her groan. She had already spent 15 years in Adventist higher education. She had moved on, thriving in new roles at Washington Adventist University and later at Loma Linda. But God’s whisper grew louder. Trusted colleagues and friends began encouraging her to step forward. When Oakwood’s presidency opened, she considered withdrawing her name from the final list of candidates. A close friend stopped her, saying, “Pray. Stay in the race. It’s not about you.” “And once the process was over,” she reflects, “God gave me peace. I clearly understand now the assignment.”
A Vision for Oakwood
That assignment, as she describes it, is to preserve Oakwood’s spiritual foundation while raising its academic reputation to new heights. “I want Oakwood to be known for excellence in education,” she says. “Not just higher GPAs, but higher national rankings, more Fulbright Scholars, White House interns, and international programs. I want our students to succeed in the classroom, in the workplace, and in life. And, I want them to do it unapologetically as who they are.” Her goals are ambitious — expand graduate programs, prune academic offerings that no longer serve students well, strengthen baccalaureate completion — but her vision goes deeper than numbers. “Our mission is not only to produce scholars,” she explains. “It is to prepare students who are spiritually strong, emotionally healthy, and ethically grounded. Education, excellence, and eternity — those must go hand in hand.”
First Things First
Brown is candid about her immediate priorities. “Clean up,” she says simply. “I inherited a beautiful house, but it has some cracks in the foundation. There are broken windows, shaky posts. The house needs repair.” Her first year has already been filled with listening sessions — conversations with faculty, students, staff, and alumni. “You don’t change a campus from the top down,” she insists. “You change it by listening and serving.” That means reviewing programs, supporting faculty needs, and strengthening staff morale. It also means a renewed emphasis on spiritual life. “We must be a praying campus,” she adds. “Everything begins with God’s grace.”
Standing with Students
Perhaps nothing energizes Brown more than engaging with students. She has begun meeting regularly with the United Student Movement leadership, and is forming a President’s Ambassadors group to provide direct input. But her style of leadership is also informal and highly visible. She pops into classrooms, lingers in the cafeteria, and shows up unannounced at Friday night worships. “She’s everywhere,” one student remarked after inauguration week. “You don’t have to schedule an appointment to see her — she comes to you.” That accessibility is intentional. “Students are at the center of everything we do,” says Brown. “If their voices are not shaping decisions, then we are missing the mark.”
Diversity, Equity, and the Next Generation
As the leader of a historically Black University, Brown is passionate about continuing Oakwood’s legacy of educational empowerment. But, she also recognizes a pressing need. “There is an attack on young Black men,” she says. “Our women are succeeding, but our men are struggling. My underrepresented group will be our young Black men. We cannot afford to lose them.” Her vision is restorative, not punitive. “When a student arrives underprepared — maybe reading at a middle-school level — our job is not to send them home. Our job is to lift them up, to get them to college level. That is the mission of an HBCU: to bring out potential that others might overlook.”
The Financial Challenge
No university president can avoid the reality of finances, and Brown is frank about Oakwood’s needs. “Money to fix things. Money for scholarships. Money for faculty support. Money for endowment. Money to make education affordable, especially for international students. That’s the challenge.” But challenges bring opportunities. She sees alumni and community partnerships as vital to Oakwood’s future. “We must build bridges and keep everyone engaged — students, parents, board members, alumni, investors. If everybody feels like family, there are no ‘step-children.’ The only steps in the house,” she quips, “should be the ones you walk up and down.”
Faith at the Core
At the heart of Brown’s presidency is faith. “This is God’s school,” she reminds her colleagues. “It is not mine. I am only the caretaker. It will take all of us, working together, to uphold the mission.” Balancing tradition with innovation is not always easy in a faith-based setting, but she insists that open communication can prevent divisions. “We must build bridges instead of walls. We may not always agree, but if we keep talking and keep praying, we will move forward together.”
Looking Ahead
When asked what she hopes to say 10 years from now, Brown does not hesitate: “That Oakwood remained a godly campus. That we kept Christ at the center. That we grew, excelled, and reached higher than ever before — but always on a foundation of faith.” She dreams of the highest enrollment in Oakwood’s history, the strongest graduate programs, and national recognition for excellence. But more than statistics, she wants Oakwood to be a place where students encounter God and leave transformed.
The Woman Behind the Title
Who, then, is Gina Spivey-Brown beyond the office of president? She is many things — nurse, educator, administrator, Church leader, even a welder, marathon runner, skydiver, world traveler, and scuba diver. But those who know her best will tell you she is first and foremost a mother, sister, and grandmother. Fiercely protective of her family, she delights most in her grandson, Anderson, whom she calls her “greatest joy.” That balance of professional drive and personal devotion reflects the essence of her leadership. She is a woman of vision, yes — but also a woman of warmth, humor, and faith. As Oakwood University steps into this new chapter under her guidance, the community celebrates more than an inauguration. It celebrates a calling fulfilled, a mission renewed, and a leader determined to keep Oakwood a godly campus where excellence and eternity walk hand in hand. Ron C. Smith, D.Min., Ph.D., president for the Southern Union Conference, shares: “Dr. Gina Brown is an effective communicator and visionary in the context of higher education. Her active listening skills are superlative. Her ability as a visionary motivator has inspired thousands of students in different academic contexts. I am excited by her recent election as the 12th president of Oakwood University.”
is Oakwood University’s assistant professor of communication, print/digital media coordinator, and Oakwood Magazine interim editor.
Southern Union | November 2025
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