Chris was born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands to a single mother, but he was raised by his grandmother and great-grandmother. He credits his grandmother, Ethel Rey, for planting a strong seed of faith in him — giving him the foundation to serve people. He spent his formative years in Spring Lake, North Carolina. He graduated high school as a track and field All-American and a top scholar-athlete. He attended East Carolina University on a full athletic scholarship.

At the age of 22, Chris answered the call to serve his nation by enlisting into the U.S. Army as a Computer Information Technology Analyst. After two short years, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Signal Corps through the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School. Thereafter, he completed deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan while leading soldiers during multiple conflicts. His service and leadership in the Armed Forces earned him numerous military awards and accolades — including the Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal. After 22 years of combined active Army and National Guard service, he retired at the rank of Major. As his last assignment, he served as the lead project officer who helped build the first cyber security headquarters for the U. S. National Guard.

In 2008, while a law student, Chris was elected as the youngest member of the Virginia Delegation to the United States Electoral College — where he officially cast the ballot to elect the President and Vice President of the United States. In 2011, Rey was the youngest person ever elected to serve as Mayor of Spring Lake, North Carolina, where he served three terms. During his time as mayor, he tackled major issues around infrastructure investment, economic development and fiscal responsibility.

After retiring from the military in 2022, Chris started his own consulting company, RL9 Group, Inc. where he provides strategic direction for clients. Chris is also the Founder of HBCU Internships Foundation, Inc, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing internship opportunities to HBCU students around the world. For over a decade, he served as an adjunct professor where he taught classes on organizational leadership, constitutional law, criminal law, juvenile justice, criminal courts and cyber-crimes. Chris has presented numerous times around the world, working with local governments on developing strategic plans that focus on growing their economy and their communities.

Rey holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Information Systems from Walden University and a Juris Doctor degree from William & Mary School of Law. Chris currently serves on the Board of Visitors for Fayetteville State University and the Alumni Association Board of Directors for William & Mary University.

In 2021, he was elected the 36th International President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., one of the nation’s oldest historically black fraternities committed to community service for all humanity.