The news is out: Dr. Conn is on sabbatical this semester. Most would agree that the president deserves some time for refreshing and growth, but don’t worry, Lee. He’ll be back, and for the time being, he’s left us in good hands. While Conn is at Harvard taking classes, the four vice presidents of the university will be taking turns as interim president, and first up is the Vice President of Administration, Gary Ray.

While Ray will operate as president pro tem, he firmly asserted that he and the other VPs will be in contact with Conn very frequently and that while Conn is away, he will still be very involved.

“I’m really working as a support to make sure students are taken care of,” Ray said. “We’re constantly looking at things that become stress points for the university.”

Ray graduated from Lee in 1981 and came to Lee in 1990 where he worked on the development of the public relations arm with Dale Goff. As time went on, Ray began to acquire multiple responsibilities ranging from IT to university relations to athletics, in which he worked with Larry Carpenter.

Because he was involved in so many different areas, Ray eventually accepted the title of VP of administration. Although he works in many different areas, Ray has one focus:

“I’m passionate about serving Lee University in a way that it becomes impactful for students.”

As a student once himself, Ray shared about his experience at Lee. Graduating from Lee in 1981, Ray was involved in athletics, playing for the Vikings, and also served in Alpha Gamma Chi. But for Ray, the most important experience at Lee was his spiritual one.

He confessed to enrolling at Lee without any serious spiritual commitments, but after his first year, he received Christ and dedicated his life to the Lord.

“Lee University is a place that changed my life.”

Along with spiritual changes came another big change: the entry of his wife. In 1981, he married his wife Anita and they now have two children, Jessica and Kevin, both of whom are attending Lee. Anita also works at Lee as the director of alumni relations.

Ray, who is originally from Alabama, has many interests that range from traveling to sports. His favorite sports teams include the Celtics and Kentucky, and his favorite coach is Tony Dungy of the Indianapolis Colts.

“He’s the first African-American to win a super bowl as a coach, but he has a profoundly sound sense of grounding in the Lord,” Ray said. “His purpose is more to advance his witness as a disciple of Christ than a coach.”

Along with watching sports, Ray also likes to stay active through long-distance running. In the past two years, he has run a half-marathon in Nashville and kept up his running routine. He enjoys running in the morning when he can “reflect on the beauty” of nature and when there is “no one moving about.” He confessed that it encourages him not to take that beauty for granted.

During his time here, Ray has been a part of the positive change that we see all around us. He assigns this passion to see the lives of students changed in the way that Lee brought change to him. As Ray said, “So you got ‘em here. Now change their lives.”