“I think that we have an incredible opportunity to increase our tourism numbers here in the Mississippi,” says Ray. “I think that there are things we can do a little better, or perhaps try some things that we have never considered.” Either way, Ray seems to be the person who can accomplish this mission.

Raised in southern Illinois, Ray’s family moved to Mississippi when he was a senior in high school when his father, who worked for A.G.. Edwards in St. Louis, was offered the option of either moving to Connecticut and working on Wall Street, or moving to their office in Jackson, Mississippi. Ray’s father chose Jackson. The family arrived in Jackson right in the middle of the 1979 flood that devastated a significant portion of the city.

Ray, a thirteen-time letterman in sports, finished high school at Madison-Ridgeland Academy. He then went on to Ole Miss where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity serving as an officer and then as president of the fraternity during his senior year.

“I learned more from those positions in the fraternity than I did from anything else at Ole Miss,” laughs Ray.

Simply put, managing people and leadership is what Ray learned at Ole Miss.

“Taking 18 hours of classes, working with our advisors, overseeing 150 people in the fraternity, and working with our national office, really taught me many skills,” says Ray.

It was also at Ole Miss in 1982 that he first met Haley Barbour as a volunteer on Barbour’s race for the U.S. Senate. It was Ray’s second introduction to politics. Ten years before, his father ran for State Representative in Illinois. Ray’s experience of going door to door and signing people up to vote was great fun.

“I really enjoyed participating in my father’s race,” says Ray. “I enjoyed the A to Z of it. I liked meeting people and really working behind the scenes. I wasn’t interested in getting in front of the camera with my father.” While at his years at Ole Miss, several well-known leaders would periodically come speak to Ray’s fraternity such as, Trent Lott, also an Ole Miss Sigma Nu. The leadership skills displayed by these various speakers were of great interest to Ray.

After this time at Ole Miss, he worked as a field representative in 26 counties in the state for the Reagan-Bush Campaign. President Reagan and Vice President Bush came to Mississippi four times during that campaign, and every time, they came to Ray’s 26 counties. After the election, Ray stayed in Mississippi, working for two different companies: one in the recreation business and the other in the investment business. Then, the world of politics began to call.

“I had kept in touch with several people whom I had worked with in the Reagan-Bush Campaign,” says Ray. “One day I received a call from Washington asking if I’d like to get back involved in politics working on the Bush race.”

Ray couldn’t say no. He accepted a job in the Bush campaign traveling the country. Not long after Bush became president, Ray received an appointment at The White House. From 1988 to 1993, he did advance work for President George H. W. Bush, making sure that everywhere the President traveled, all of the details and the schedules were in perfect order. He stayed through Inauguration Day for President Clinton.

“He was a great man,” says Ray of President Bush. “Mrs. Barbara Bush was like a grandmother to me. They are both really gracious people and were very appreciative of all of the help that we gave them. President Bush was a great statesman for our country. He had a ton of energy. He loved to get out and travel and be with the people.”

Ray was one of the very few who accompanied President and Mrs. Bush to Andrews Air Force Base shortly after President Clinton was sworn into office. President Bush boarded Air Force One for his last ride returning to his home back in Houston. Ray turned in his White House badge and began thinking about his next move.

For the next seven years, he lived and worked in Kentucky for Lincoln Financial Advisors. In June, 2001, another call came from Washington. Ray was offered the job of Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Advance. Ray accepted the job offer and moved back to Washington, this time in a management role.

“I was in charge of President Bush’s trips,” says Ray. “Anytime he left The White House, we would plan it. In fact, sometimes we would be working on four or five trips in advance.”

At any given moment, Ray could be managing several trips in the U.S. and abroad, and overseeing 80 to 90 people. Therewas no margin for error.

“Our thinking was that we were only as good as our last trip,” says Ray. “If you made a mistake, just once, that was it. Very stressful, but a wonderful opportunity.”

Ray says that President Bush, “43”, was totally opposite from his father, “41”.

“They managed and ran things differently,” says Ray. “The current President was very involved in everything, very demanding of us, expecting a lot. We always knew where we stood with him, good or bad, and I like knowing where I stand with people. He is very professional, extremely hard working, arriving at the office every morning at 6:00 and working until 6:00 at night. He works very hard to be a good President.”

After almost two years on the job with President Bush, Ray was ready to make a change. He had been talking to several on the Barbour team about the possibility of Barbour running for office and how Ray might become involved. This past June, Vice President Cheney came to campaign in the state for Barbour. Ray was asked to quickly join the campaign to help with the advance details of Cheney’s June trip.

“Governor Barbour is the hardest working person that I have every met,” says Ray. “Just to look at his weekly schedule during the campaign made you tired. You could see during the campaign that all of his years working on campaigns, advising on campaigns, and working at The White House - all came together. The Governor knows what he wants. He’ll provide you with his opinion, but at the same time, he doesn’t look over your shoulder. He is a good delegator.”

After Barbour was elected, Ray was in charge of Barbour’s Inaugural events. It was during this time that he was asked by Barbour to consider coming to work in the new administration.

“I wanted to come on board, but I didn’t want to accept a job in the administration just to have a job,” says Ray. “I wanted to work for Governor Barbour in a position in which I could make a contribution.”

Ray felt that with his talents and background, he could make a difference in Mississippi’s tourism efforts. As it turned out, Barbour was thinking the same. Ray’s White House experience, traveling abroad, promoting the U.S. within the country and out of the country, both agreed would help him in his job as tourism director. Additionally, the two agreed that Ray’s experience working in all counties in Mississippi during several elections, also provided him with in-depth knowledge of what
these counties and regions in the state have to offer in the way of tourism.

As director of tourism, Ray oversees 85 employees and a $9.4 million budget. In his new job, he has immersed himself in the nuts and bolts of the Mississippi tourism industry.

“I am attending every meeting, convention, every event, that I possibly can,” says Ray. “During my first day on the job, Mr. Speed (MDA Director) asked me to meet him at the airport that Monday morning instead of coming into the office. We flew up to Greenwood where we attended a meeting with the Blues Commission at the Alluvian Hotel concerning issues in the Delta.”

In six weeks Ray has attended the Governor’s Conference on Tourism, attended the U.S. Boxing Trials in Tunica, worked with the Blues Commission, negotiated with the Miss USA Pageant about possibly bringing the pageant to Mississippi in the next two years, and signed a three year contract to bring a large boat race to the coast.

“Recently, I drove down Highway 61 and just wanted to see the Delta in general,” says Ray. “I really enjoyed seeing the landscape, people, and the attractions. There is so much about the Delta that is unique.”

Ray says that he will soon return with his staff to travel the Delta extensively and that he plans to do this once a quarter in order to get to know the sites and sounds of the Delta.

“My motto is ‘one more day’,” says Ray. “That’s what we need to focus on in Mississippi, is getting people to spend just one more day when they visit here. If tourists would stay just one extra day, it would create a huge economic impact.” DBJ