Donna E. Shalala, former President of the University of Miami, was a member of the successful 2026 FIFA World Cup bid committee which included Canada, the United States, and Mexico. She also served for a decade as an Independent Director for the US Soccer Federation.
Dr. Shalala is a nationally recognized scholar and leader in higher education and government. In addition to the University of Miami, she served as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and President of Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY). A dedicated scholar and teacher, she has held tenured professorships at Columbia University, CUNY, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Miami.
Her leadership in U.S. government began as one of the country’s first Peace Corps Volunteers. For eight years she served in President Bill Clinton’s Cabinet as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Most recently, she was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Florida’s 27th Congressional District.
One of the most honored academic leaders of her generation, Dr. Shalala has been elected to seven national academies, including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Medicine. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is co-chair (with former Governor Tom Ridge) of the Bipartisan Commission on Bio-Defense.
She recieved the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, from President George W. Bush; the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights; and a National Public Service Award. She was elected to the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York, and has received numerous honorary degrees. She was named one of the “top five managers in higher education” by BusinessWeek, one of “America’s Best Leaders” by U.S. News & World Report, and “one of the greatest public servants of the past 25 years” by the Council on Excellence in Government.
Dr. Shalala received her undergraduate degree from Western College for Women and a Ph.D. from The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.