Brandon V. Ray?
Regional Director, External Affairs (Long Island)
AT&T
Huntington, NY
Age: 33
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Hurricane Sandy of 2012, the largest and one of the deadliest in the history of Atlantic storms, was a defining moment for Brandon Ray. ?During this time, there was a lot of adversity in my life. I didn?t have a job and was displaced from my home by the storm, but that didn?t stop me from continuing to serve and lean on my faith,? Ray recounts. ?I was still a very active member of my local school board, and I was an active volunteer at my church, even to fold programs. It gave me perspective that no job is too small and that everyone has a part to play.??
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Ray earned a bachelor?s degree in business administration management at Howard University and a master?s in public administration at Baruch College, City University of New York, as a National Urban Fellow. Job hunting at a National Urban League BEEP Conference, he landed an internship with the NUL Office of the President, Marc Morial, facilitated by Wanda Jackson, NUL senior vice president of human resources. He benefited from Jackson?s mentorship, and her insistence on good education and staying involved in his community. ?Her motto is ?Pay it forward? and I do my best to live that each day,? says Ray, now regional director of external affairs (Long Island) at AT&T, responsible for implementing local public policy initiatives and representing the company with local government and community organizations.?
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Ray is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.?s Kappa Xi Lambda chapter and a trustee and vice president of his church?s Men?s Ministry. He serves on the board for the Girl Scouts of Nassau County and as a Leadership Council board member for Mentor NY. ?Everyone can be great because everyone can serve,? Ray says, quoting the late civil rights icon Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
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