Laura Ray

Laura Ray joined the RARE Program as a Program Coordinator in April of 2024. She grew up in New Hampshire and served as an AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps) member as a young adult, doing short-term projects on a team of ten people throughout the Southeast U.S. including disaster recovery and rebuilding flooded homes after Hurricane Katrina. Laura went on to study conservation ecology at Sterling College in Vermont, and completed a master’s degree in natural resources at the University of Vermont. She has worked and volunteered for several years in the public sector as an emergency management planner in rural Vermont and an outreach/communications coordinator in the Eugene area for various nonprofit and government organizations. In addition to her focus on community service and the environment, Laura is passionate about racial equity and dialogue processes.

As part of the RARE team, Laura supports members/host sites, develops training, and more. She enjoys creating engaging and accessible communications materials, writing/editing, and facilitating deep conversations.

Outside of work Laura loves reading nonfiction books, drinking tea, playing pickleball, growing/eating local vegetables, alpacas, word games, and “glamping” throughout Oregon in her family’s converted school bus.