ATLANTA, Ga. – June 9, 2022 –  The Ray announced today the names of the industry leaders who have joined its newly created Advisory Council. The Advisory Council will provide a collaborative space for discussing and executing strategies, solutions and partnerships that will help The Ray and its agency partners to achieve net-zero transportation.

The Council’s diverse membership has committed personal time, professional resources and a global network to leverage The Ray as a convener and a conduit of real-world innovations throughout the United States. As leaders in the private sector, members will enhance the organization’s public-private-philanthropic partnership (P4) model by facilitating private investment in, and channeling expertise towards, public projects, and will guide The Ray’s national efforts to conceptualize, plan and scale net-zero transportation infrastructure.

The Advisory Council to The Ray includes:

Christopher Armstrong: Vice President, CIRRUS/V2X; Panasonic

David Aspinwall: President; Heliox

Mackenzie Baines: Mobility Product Director; Cox Automotive

Terry Bills: Global Transportation Industry Director; Esri

Mike Branch: Vice President, Data and Analytics; Geotab

Dan Chen: President, Transportation Safety Division; 3M

Stephen Chriss: Director, Energy Service; Walmart

Tim Donovan: Founder and Partner; Donovan Energy

Rick Douglas: Senior Manager/Head of Department Team/Public Relations; Kia Georgia

Kitty Dumas: Manager; Ryder Charitable Foundation

Dewey Grantham: Regional Vice President; Liberty Tire Recycling

Richard “Dick” Gust: CEO; Tire Industry Foundation

Chris Kelly: Co-Founder and CEO; Clearion

David Kiley: Senior Vice President of Business Development and Acquisitions; Cavnue

Maureen Kline: Vice President, Public Affairs & Sustainability; Pirelli Tire North America

Pierre Labat: Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer; Novelis

Kaitlin Monaghan: Manager of Public Policy; Rivian

Bo Quick: Sr. Director, Sustainability and Environmental Partnerships; Southwire

The Advisory Council will continue to add members as The Ray expands the technology and innovation ecosystem on The Ray Highway, and exports projects to agency partners in 25 states and growing. In 2014, The Ray first defined net-zero highways as highways with zero carbon, zero waste and zero deaths. One year later, it constructed its first project in partnership with the Georgia Department of Transportation on an 18-mile stretch of the Interstate 85 corridor in West Georgia that is now known as the Ray C. Anderson Memorial Highway. Today, The Ray Highway is the nation’s premier test bed for safe, smart and sustainable transportation.

Members of the Council commit to the following volunteer responsibilities:

• Quarterly convening
• Identifying potential corporate and private interests that could support solutions and projects with The Ray
• Connecting The Ray, when appropriate, to leadership and projects that could benefit from the unique position that The Ray holds in P4 project development
• Supporting the organization as a champion for The Ray’s work

The Advisory Council will also receive updates from The Ray on an ambitious fundraising campaign to advance the organization’s five-year strategic plan and 2025 technology plan goals. The Ray is raising capital from public, philanthropic and private funders, including corporations and investors focused on building and scaling innovative and sustainable transportation and mobility projects.

About The Ray

The Ray is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity and net-zero highway testbed, located on 18 miles of Interstate 85 between Lagrange, Georgia and the Georgia-Alabama state line. This stretch of interstate is named in memory of Ray C. Anderson (1934-2011), a Georgia native recognized as a leader in green business when he challenged his company, Interface, Inc., to pursue a zero environmental footprint. The Ray Highway testbed is paving the way for a zero carbon, zero waste, zero deaths highway system that will build a safer and more prosperous future for all. Learn more at www.TheRay.org.