DAVID GERGEN (IN MEMORIAM)
Advisor. Inspirational Thought Partner. Champion of the Next Generation.
David Gergen was a professor of public service and the founding director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School. He served as a senior political analyst for CNN and was deeply engaged in supporting and mentoring a rising generation of leaders.
Over the course of his remarkable career, David served as a White House advisor to four U.S. presidents—Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton—offering a rare, bipartisan perspective on leadership at the highest levels. He reflected on those experiences in his New York Times bestseller, Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership, Nixon to Clinton (Simon & Schuster, 2001).
In the 1980s, he began a parallel career in journalism, starting with The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour in 1984. For more than 30 years, he was a regular voice on public affairs and commentary. He also served on numerous nonprofit boards, including Yale and Duke Universities, and remained active with organizations such as Teach for America, The Mission Continues, The Trilateral Commission, and Elon University’s School of Law.
Through his leadership at the Center for Public Leadership, David helped shape the next generation of civic leaders—particularly social entrepreneurs, military veterans, and Young Global Leaders from the World Economic Forum. Under his guidance, the Center awarded over 100 scholarships annually to students preparing to lead for the common good.
David’s commitment to principled leadership and cross-generational mentorship deeply influenced Leadership Now’s mission and work. We were honored to have him as an advisor and thought partner from 2019 until his passing in 2025.
He is survived by his wife, Anne Elizabeth Gergen, a family therapist, along with their two children and five grandchildren.