Heather Ray: Bringing “lived experience” to community service

This is part of a series of profiles about the members of the Clackamas ESD Board of Directors. Our elected board governs the ESD, setting policy, and hiring and managing the superintendent. Board members represent the geographic diversity of Clackamas County, and bring a range of life experiences to their ESD work. They are a vital part of our team, and we want you to know them better.

Like many parents, Heather Ray started thinking a lot more deeply about public schools once her child entered kindergarten.

Her own public school experience filled her cup. Growing up in rural Missouri, Heather attended small public schools filled with opportunity: To offer clubs and sports and other activities, everyone had to participate. So she did it all. After graduation, she earned a psychology degree from the University of Missouri, began her career in sales and marketing, and eventually moved to Oregon, where she earned her MBA at Willamette University.

When her son started kindergarten in fall 2021, while the COVID pandemic was still disrupting schools, she re-introduced herself to public schools with a different perspective – as a mom.

“It was his first school experience, and my son was all masked up,” Heather recalled. “That really affected me. I became worried about the social emotional development of kids going back to school in a time of uncertainty.”

Heather was pulled into her son’s school and extracurricular activities quickly.

“I got involved in the soccer club and was the assistant coach for my son’s team. I was active in the PTA,” Heather said. “I thought it was important to start volunteering as much as possible. The way the world works now is very digital and isolating for kids. I wanted to get more involved and help my child and other kids have the kind of rich experience I had in school.”

As her involvement in her son’s activities grew, so did her awareness about the range of children’s needs.

“I saw the variety of kids’ needs in our soccer league,” Heather shared. “The motto of our club is “soccer for all” – kids of all levels of ability can find a place to play. That has motivated me to find a way to serve more kids in need.”

When she learned about ESDs, the services they offer, and how they focus on helping all children get the education they deserve, the mission resonated with her. She also was becoming increasingly interested in public service, and just completed her training with Emerge Oregon, an organization that provides step-by-step guidance to Democratic women on how to run for public office.

“Emerge emphasizes the right race at the right time,” Heather explained. “When I saw the opportunity, I already knew that federal budget cuts were coming down that would affect schools. I thought the time was right for a parent with my experience to step in.”  

Heather ran for and won election to the Clackamas ESD board in May 2025. She brings not only her experience as a public school parent, but also as a program director for the Oregon Council for Behavioral Health, a trade organization for agencies serving Medicaid recipients with substance use and mental health challenges. In this role, Heather advocates for workforce development initiatives, and pursues grant opportunities that will support and expand the behavioral health workforce.

“As a new ESD board member, I’m learning all I can about issues we face,” Heather said. “I like thinking about big challenges and big ideas – grappling with long-term questions to find solutions. I appreciate being here for those discussions.”

In her first months as a board member, Heather has been impressed with the scope of Clackamas ESD’s services, from offering data support to dozens of organizations and municipalities, to addressing many children’s developmental needs beginning at birth.

“The concept of serving children birth through high school is something we have made real, and that amazes me that we’re there for the community like that,” Heather shared. “Whatever our customers need, we will find a way to provide it. I love that attitude.”

Heather looks forward to continuing to bring her lived experience to her board work, and to helping share the “best-kept secret of our education system” that ESDs tend to be.

“I have a large community, and I’m really happy to be able to let people know about all the services Clackamas ESD provides,” Heather said. “Parents don’t think about where all these school services come from and how they’re funded. The more they know about how complex funding is and what a challenge it is to balance it all, the more respect and less frustration they will have.”

At heart, she is a mom trying to do the best for her son and other children.

“I feel strongly that everyone deserves a free public education, and I want the best for this generation of kids and the ones that are behind them,” Heather said. “That maternal instinct kicks in.”