Dr. John E. Gray

Dr. John E. Gray is a testament to determination and fortitude. Losing his mother to cancer at age 7, he found himself moving from place to place, with some of those places landing him in foster homes and shelters. Through it all, he held on to that spark of inner determination that let him know that he could do better. He graduated from Weequahic High School in Newark, NJ, and continued his academic studies at Stockton University in Galloway, NJ as an EOF student.

Never one to give up, he graduated from Stockton University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice in 1992, while also earning a certification in African-American Studies. Dr. Gray continued his educational journey by earning a Master of Education degree from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona in 2006, and a Doctorate of Education Degree from Walden University in June of 2012. After serving as a teacher and administrator in Atlantic City Public Schools for close to 20 years, he was named as the Assistant Dean of the School of Education at Stockton University in 2017 and proudly serves in that position today. In his role as Assistant Dean, Dr. Gray provides numerous EOF students with the guidance and mentorship he received as an EOF student. He also initiated the FUTURE program, which is a Provost Office Diversity Grant Initiative that reaches out to local urban school districts to collaborate with them and expose their students to the possibilities of higher education.

Dr. Gray is a servant leader, having led the Goodwill Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia, Pa. for the past eleven years as Senior Pastor. His zeal to change the world through positivity and inspiration led him to form Dr. John E. Gray Ministries, a platform that seeks to encourage, empower and inspire. He also began a FB Live Talk Show, Onyx Expressions, which highlights and accentuates the positive in communities in the Tri-State area. He is also a twice-published author. He is a contributing author in Mentoring African American Males: A Research Design Perspective and the sole author of Quitting Was Not an Option: A Journey of Perseverance and Resilience, and Above and Beyond: 8 Things Champions do to Conquer Their Limits.