Dr. Ira E. Murray is the President and Chief Executive Officer of United Way of the Capital Area, Inc. in Jackson, Mississippi. In this role, Dr. Murray leads the organization’s strategic planning and execution of its fundraising and impact goals. Prior to this role, Dr. Murray was a K. Leroy Irvis Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education, where he conducted, reviewed, and disseminated research concerning issues of race and equity in urban schools at the Center for Urban Education.
Dr. Murray earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Florida A&M University, a Master of Education degree from Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Murray is an education scholar, writer, and advocate with expertise in issues of race, equity, and achievement in urban schools, districts, and communities.
Dr. Murray is currently a member of the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women, the 100 Black Men of Jackson, the United Way Worldwide Equity Advisory Council, and the Board of Directors of Excel by 5 and the Mississippi Early Learning Alliance. Dr. Murray is also a member in good standing of the American Educational Research Association and the American Educational Studies Association.
Dr. Murray is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the 2019 Early Career Alumni Award by the University of Pittsburgh School of Education and being named a 2013 Mississippi Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 business leader.
Dr. Murray resides in Madison, Mississippi with his wife, Tracy, and daughter, Imani.
