Greeting New Responsibilities: Ray Embarks on Role As MSR

from PAGE One, Professional Association of Georgia Educators

Mary Ruth Ray talks about PAGE and K-12 education with clear passion in her voice that confirms her steadfast belief in the profession and in the PAGE mission to serve Georgia’s teachers and school staff.

Eager to step into her new role as Membership Services Representative (MSR) for Liberty, Long, McIntosh, and Wayne counties, Ray will directly support educators in those communities while continuing her work as the Future Georgia Educators coordinator. 

“PAGE is an essential partner with K-12 education, providing members the support they need so educators and support staff can focus on what matters most — educating students and keeping the schools running smoothly.”

“PAGE is an essential partner with K-12 education, providing members the support they need so educators and support staff can focus on what matters most — educating students and keeping the schools running smoothly,” says Ray. 

After graduating from Agnes Scott College, Ray worked in advertising but found it unfulfilling. That’s when she turned to elementary education as a second career. “In advertising, I wasn’t making a difference,” she recalls. “I kept seeing myself in a classroom and realized working in K-12 education was my calling.” 

That realization led her home to Glennville, Georgia — where she grew up — to earn her teaching certificate. She decided to settle there. 

After several years in the classroom, Ray joined PAGE staff in 1998 to oversee student groups. She expanded the PAGE Future Georgia Educators (FGE) program and reconnected with her passion for teaching by serving as a PAGE College Services Representative.

She also served on the foundation board of Southeastern Technical College, the Board of Directors for Phi Delta Kappa International, and she contributed to the Georgia Department of Education’s development of the Education as a Profession pathway.

Currently, she is in her 17th year serving on the Tattnall County Board of Education.

Now, in her expanded role, Ray remains committed to ensuring that educators know the many ways in which PAGE supports them. “We’re not just an insurance policy and legal services,” she observes, “we provide coaching, professional learning, and other resources that help educators thrive.”

Ray and her husband have four children and five grandchildren. They enjoy time away from home on the Georgia coast in McIntosh County, one of the areas she now serves as MSR.