Gayle Jessup White

Gayle Jessup White is the first public relations and community engagement officer at the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the nonprofit that owns and operates Monticello. She is the author of the book, Reclamation: Sally Hemings, Thomas Jefferson, and a Descendant’s Search for Her Family’s Lasting Legacy. A former award-winning television reporter and anchor, Gayle started her career at the New York Times. She has written and spoken extensively about her work at Monticello, the legacies of slavery, and her family’s contributions to American history. Gayle serves on Virginia’s Citizens Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion, where she is founding chair of the Descendant Committee. She is also a board member the Albemarle Charlottesville Historical Society, Charlottesville Live Arts, and Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest.