Alamo Colleges: Trustee Gloria Ray resigns, seat opens Nov. 10

Alamo Colleges District officials said Thursday that Gloria Ray has resigned from the nine-member board of trustees. Ray served as vice chair and represented District 2, which covers the district's East and Northeast portions. She was first elected in November 2020, and her current term was slated to run through 2028. Her term ended Oct. 25.

The board will meet in a special session Nov. 10 to accept her resignation letter. At that meeting, trustees will also set a process to select and appoint an interim trustee for District 2. A reason for her departure was not made public.

Board Chair Joe Alderete, Jr. said in a news release: "Trustee Ray has dedicated many years to the Alamo Colleges District and the people we serve." He added that her belief in education, her commitment to District 2 and her work for students "have made a lasting difference."

Chancellor Mike Flores said in the release: "Trustee Ray has been a champion for our students and a dedicated supporter of our mission." He said the district is grateful for her leadership and for the ways she has helped create opportunities for the communities it serves.

When Ray joined the board, the district was serving about 68,000 students. This fall, enrollment across its five colleges surpassed 100,000 students: San Antonio College, St. Philip's College, Palo Alto College, Northwest Vista College and Northeast Lakeview College.

Ray retired as a senior official at Kelly Air Force Base after 27 years, where she headed a division with a budget above $1.7 billion and a workforce of 2,500 people. She went on to serve as Fiesta San Antonio Commission president in 2021, to chair the MLK March and Commission, and to lead the Citizen's Advisory Committee overseeing the district's capital improvement projects. As a trustee, she often questioned, challenged and commended officials on issues of equity and emphasized expanding resources to underserved areas.