Jaymes Black
Jaymes Black is an American executive who serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The Trevor Project since July 15, 2024. The Trevor Project is a nonprofit organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services specifically for LGBTQ+ young people.
Jaymes Black grew up in South Texas in a conservative environment and has described their childhood as difficult due to their queer identity. In their teenage years, they struggled with isolation and chose to leave high school after their relationship with a girlfriend was outed publicly. Later in life, Black completed a bachelor's degree Strayer University and then completed an MBA from Colorado Technical University.
Career
Before joining The Trevor Project, Black's career included both corporate and nonprofit sectors. They held a senior leadership role at Charles Schwab before transitioning to nonprofit leadership. In 2021, Black became President and CEO of Family Equality, an organization supporting LGBTQ+ families. There they led efforts in advocacy, community building, storytelling, fundraising, and overseeing operations.
Leadership at The Trevor Project
On July 15, 2024, Jaymes Black became the Chief Executive Officer of The Trevor Project, marking several firsts as the organization’s first Black, first nonbinary, and first openly queer CEO. In early 2025, they improved the organization's U.S. crisis services. This plan included increasing staff focused on direct support, optimizing operations, and expanding their technology.
Response to federal policy changes
In June 2025, the U.S. federal government decided to end funding for the LGBTQ+ “Press 3” option on the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a service provided in partnership with The Trevor Project. The change was set to take effect on July 17, 2025. Black strongly criticized the decision as “devastating” and called it a politicization of suicide prevention, emphasizing the harm it could cause LGBTQ+ youth. They urged Congress to act to preserve the service and stressed that The Trevor Project would continue its 24/7 support independently.