Ellen Ray is a mission-driven urban planner, committed to embedding equity in our built environment. She is proud to bring over 12 years of diverse experience to Housing Forward as Director of Planning and Zoning.

Prior to joining Housing Forward, Ellen led the City of Tulsa's Design Studio, a multidisciplinary group created to improve Tulsa’s public realm through inclusive community engagement. Her team also managed the design and delivery of a $600M portfolio with over 60 capital projects. As a prodigal Tulsan, Ellen returned to her hometown from Austin in 2023. During her decade-long exile in the Lone Star State, Ellen's cross-sectoral career centered on equitable urban growth: providing policy guidance for federal, state-level, and regional transportation agencies; leading an affordable housing non-profit for low-income seniors; and securing entitlements, incentives, and approvals for proposed real estate projects at a land use law firm. She also served on the City of Austin's Zoning Commission.

Ellen has a BA from Yale University and earned her Master's in City and Regional Planning at the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, American Planning Association, and Urban Core Art Project. Outside work, she enjoys biking, hiking, cooking, and singing early American shape note music.