Alamo Colleges District officials announced Thursday the resignation of Gloria Ray from the district’s nine-member board of trustees.

Ray, who served as the board’s vice chair, represented the residents of District 2, which covers East and Northeast portions of the district. She was first elected in November 2020 and her current term was slated to end in 2028, but it ended on Oct. 25. 

“Trustee Ray has dedicated many years to the Alamo Colleges District and the people we serve,” Alamo Colleges Board Chair Joe Alderete, Jr. said in a news release. “Her belief in the power of education, her commitment to District 2 and her leadership on behalf of our students have made a lasting difference.”

At the time of Ray’s arrival to the board, Alamo Colleges was serving about 68,000 students. This fall, the district surpassed 100,000 students enrolled across its five colleges — San Antonio College, St. Philip’s College, Palo Alto College, Northwest Vista College, and Northeast Lakeview College.

A reason for her departure was not made public, with the news release stating she submitted a resignation letter that will be accepted by the board during a special meeting on Nov. 10.

At this meeting the board will also establish a process to select and appoint an interim trustee for District 2. 

Ray entered the board after her retirement as Senior Official of the Kelly Air Force Base, where she served for 27 years. There she headed a division with a budget of over $1.7 billion and a 2,500-person workforce.

Her retirement gave way to a career in volunteerism. Ray was Fiesta San Antonio Commission President in 2021, and she chaired the MLK March and Commission.  She also lent her time to Alamo Colleges where she led the Citizen’s Advisory Committee that oversaw the district’s capital improvement projects. 

As a board member, she often questioned, challenged and commended officials on issues of equity, emphasizing the need to expand resources to underserved areas.

“Trustee Ray has been a champion for our students and a dedicated supporter of our mission,” Alamo Colleges Chancellor Mike Flores said in the release. “We are grateful for her leadership and for the many ways she has helped create opportunities for the communities we serve.”

The San Antonio Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.