Dr. Carray Banks, Jr. enters his 17th year as Norfolk State University's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) in 2026-27, serving as the primary liaison between the University's faculty, the NCAA, and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). In this role, he promotes the integration of academics and athletics while ensuring the University's commitment to the academic success and overall well-being of its student-athletes.
A nationally respected leader in intercollegiate athletics governance, Banks currently serves on the NCAA Division I Membership Committee after previously holding appointments on the NCAA Division I Legislative Committee, NCAA Division I Committee on Academics, NCAA Academic Executive Council, NCAA Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Advisory Group, Accelerating Academic Success Program (AASP) Grant Selection Committee, Data Review Subcommittee, and the NCAA Two-Year Transfer Working Group. He has also served on numerous NCAA Division I Initial Certification and Recertification Accreditation Review Teams.
Banks has played a significant leadership role within the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, previously serving as President of the MEAC Delegate Assembly, President of the MEAC FAR Delegation, and a member of the MEAC Executive Council and MEAC Basketball Championship Committee. He currently serves as Chair of the MEAC Long Range and Strategic Planning Committee and was instrumental in helping establish the conference's Academic Progress Rate (APR) Award.
Beyond his work as FAR, Banks is the Chair and Associate Professor of the Department of Engineering Technology in Norfolk State's College of Science, Engineering and Technology. Throughout his career at NSU, he has been actively involved in athletics, serving as an academic enhancement counselor for the men's basketball program, a member of the NSU Athletics Foundation Sports Hall of Fame Selection Committee, and chair of the University's NCAA Recertification Steering Committee. He also spent several years assisting with game operations, serving on the official game clock crew and supervising graphic display operations during football games at William "Dick" Price Stadium.
Banks' contributions to higher education and intercollegiate athletics have earned numerous honors, including the 2019 NCAA Division I Faculty Athletics Representative of the Year. His additional recognitions include the Urban League of Hampton Roads Unsung Hero of the Year Award, Kappa Alpha Psi Eastern Regional Unsung Hero Award, and Norfolk State University's Administrator of the Year Award, among many others. He also serves as a presenter and ambassador for the Gates Millennium Scholars Foundation, UNCF STEM Scholars Program, and Fidelity Investments STEM Scholars Program, helping connect students with scholarship opportunities and educational resources.
A native of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, Banks earned his Bachelor of Science in Industrial Arts Education from Elizabeth City State University, his Master of Arts in Professional and Technical Education from Ball State University, and his Doctor of Philosophy in Vocational and Industrial Education from Pennsylvania State University.
Banks and his wife, Alesia, reside in Virginia Beach and are the proud parents of one daughter, Aliyah Nicole.
