Danette Gerald Howard is Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Cummins, Inc. where she leads the global strategy to enhance educational opportunity and success. Dr. Howard previously served as the inaugural Executive in Residence at the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center and as Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at Lumina Foundation where she led national strategies to increase Americans' attainment of high-quality postsecondary degrees and credentials. Earlier in her career, Howard served as Secretary of Higher Education for the State of Maryland.

Howard is a summa cum laude graduate of Howard University where she is now a member of the board of trustees and chair of the Academic Excellence Committee. She also received her master’s degree from Harvard University and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.