Ray Trapp

Ray Trapp is a public sector and nonprofit leader with extensive experience in planning, government, and higher education. He currently serves as Vice President of Advancement for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Greater Triad, where he leads fundraising, resource development, strategic partnerships, and external engagement to support regional growth and community development initiatives.

Ray’s career includes leadership roles across higher education and economic development, most notably at North Carolina A&T State University, where he served as Director of External Affairs and led government relations efforts supporting the university’s land-grant mission. He also served as Vice President of Strategic Engagement at Research Triangle Foundation, working at the intersection of public policy, higher education, and private sector investment to advance innovation and regional economic competitiveness.

He served as an elected Guilford County Commissioner, where he played a key role in shaping policy and investment decisions related to land use, housing, infrastructure, public health, and economic development. His work focused on aligning county priorities with municipal and regional planning efforts, strengthening intergovernmental collaboration, and advancing sustainable and equitable growth strategies.

Ray brings direct experience in land use and zoning through his service as the first Black Chair of the Greensboro Zoning Commission and as a member of the Durham Planning Board. In these roles, he contributed to development review, zoning decisions, and long-range planning efforts that guide growth and community outcomes.

He currently serves on the North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges, where he supports policy and system-level decisions impacting workforce development and educational attainment across the state. Ray is pursuing a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership and Learning at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and holds a Certified Diversity Executive (CDE®) credential.