Willie Ray was raised in the Bear Swamp farming community outside Faison, in Duplin County on his Grandmother’s tenant farm. His Mother was the oldest girl of 11 children, pregnant with him when his father was killed in a car accident. His Mother moved back to the farm where her youngest sibling was just 3 at the time and Willie Ray was just another youngin in the yard. She remarried when he was 2, but Willie Ray always claimed the Bear Swamp farm as home. He joined the US Air Force in 1958 at 17, served 9 years and was honorability discharged in 1966 at which time he was hired as a computer operator. He joined the Navy Reserve.
Willie Ray has a Bachelor of Science Degree majored in Computer Science and Business Management. He has in excess of 2000 hours in specialized technical and management training programs.
His work experience includes:
- 1994 Chief Sustaining Base Division, Office of Deputy Chief of Staff for Information Management, U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, NC. Responsible for providing communication, computer hardware and software technical support for the entire command. Received the Civilian Metal for meritorious service.
- 1993 Retired from the Naval Reserve as a Data Processing Chief Petty Officer.
- 1991 Director of Information Management for the entire U.S. Army Military Community in Wiesbaden Germany. Responsible for budgeting, planning, procuring, operation, control and maintenance of all computer systems, communication systems, forms and publications. Planned, directed and coordinated the information systems to satisfy the information requirements of the Commanders and managers in the military community. Received award as best Directorate Of Information Management with the Army.
- 1989 Senior Computer Systems Analyst for the U.S. Specials Operations Command/U.S. Transportation Command. Responsible for coordination, analysis, design, programing, and documentation of the Joint Deployment System, a Joint Service top secret Command and Control Information management system used world wide for crisis management. Received several Superior performance awards.
-1981 Deputy Chief of the U.S. Air Force Computer Security Program Office. Provided technical Information Management System security assistance in support of the Air Force and Air Force elements worldwide.
- 1979 Computer Specialist for the U.S. Air Force, Air University, Data Automation Directorate. Responsible for coordination, analysis, design, programming, and documentation for management, educational, financial, and clerical requirements for the Air University schools and organizations.
- 1972 Chief Computer Operations, Accounting and Finance Division, ICSG, Tactical Air Command, Macdill AFB, Fl. Responsible for payroll and balancing in excess of 20,000 military pay records, for establishing priorities in operation, scheduling, supplies and training.
Willie Ray has been married to Patricia Ann Jones Starling for 27 years. He has 5 children, 11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.
Willie Ray is a country boy, educated but still country. His experiences qualify him to understand the problems regular people have as they travel through life providing for their family. He is a people person and has been a problem solver throughout his career uniquely qualifying him to find solutions to problems. He is a unifier not a divider of people and can bring people together to solve problems. Willie Ray is a proven leader and hard worker to bring the peoples voice to the county commission.
