Jim Ray served as the acting administrator of the Federal Highway Administration from February to August 2008. Ray earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his law degree from Georgetown University. He is a member of the North Carolina Bar Association.

 

Ray began his career on Capitol Hill, working in the offices of Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and John Ensign (R-NV). He then went to work as an associate at the law firm of Alston & Bird, LLP, representing clients in a wide range of legal issues, including mergers and acquisitions and federal government relations.

 

Next, Ray served as deputy general counsel to the Bush-Cheney campaign and the subsequent Presidential Inaugural Committee from 2003 to 2005. From February 2004 to April 2006, he served in the Department of Transportation’s Office of the General Counsel, advising senior department officials on a variety of legal and policy matters relating to all modes of transportation.

 

Ray joined FHWA as chief counsel in April 2006 and was appointed the deputy administrator of FHWA in December 2007.