Tolar Ray '23
Bio
B.A., Communication
Raleigh, NC
Tolar Ray is a Marketing Communications Specialist at North Carolina State University, where he leads video production and social media strategy for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, one of the university’s largest and most research-active units.
Since 2024, Ray has developed digital content that highlights student success, faculty research and industry partnerships. He architects video and social media strategies for both ECE and Computer Science while producing storytelling projects across the College of Engineering.
Before returning to NC State in a full-time role, Ray served as Director of Creative Video for Elon University Athletics from 2023 to 2024, overseeing production for 16 Division I sports teams. At Elon, he built and mentored a team of 12 student video producers, guiding them in content development, visual storytelling and production workflows. He also led freelance campaigns for clients such as H&M, Macy’s, COACH, Crabtree Valley Mall and the NCAA, creating content for digital campaigns, commercials and social platforms.
Ray has supported nonprofit and mission-driven organizations including Carolina Crown, a top-ranked marching arts organization, and Montreat Conference Center, where he produced multimedia content and contributed to broader communications and outreach efforts.
A native of North Carolina, Ray earned his bachelor’s degree in communication media from NC State with minors in journalism and English. He is currently pursuing an MBA through the Jenkins MBA program at NC State’s Poole College of Management.
Ray helps higher education institutions, businesses and nonprofits share their impact with clarity, purpose and reach. He is especially passionate about brand strategy and building content systems that turn strong ideas into measurable results.