The Ray Center is a leader in best practices in civility and ethical leadership for public service leaders. We provide research-based strategies to help individuals continuously develop their character and ethical leadership skills. These character and leadership competencies can help create a positive, meaningful, and sustainable organizational culture.
We have worked in the public service arena for over 15 years and for nearly 10 years have annually worked with state legislative leaders in all 50 U.S. states, all U.S. territories, Canada, and Mexico. The Center is also field-testing the first public service culture assessment to provide data-driven decision-making for enhanced professional development across the country.
Our team can assist you in evaluating your needs and selecting the services that will help meet your goals.
Available topics:
Sessions feature research-based strategies and are customized to meet your needs.
The Ray Center also provides assessments/surveys, strategic planning, professional development, and facilitation on challenging issues such as governance structure and funding models for various municipal organizations that have included the Des Moines Area Regional Transit, Metro Waste Authority, Central Iowa Water Trails, Des Moines Public Schools Athletic Advisory Committee, Capital Crossroads 2.0, Greater Des Moines Partnership, and the cities of Altoona, Urbandale, and Ft. Dodge.
Sessions are led by Scott Raecker, Executive Director of The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University and a former Iowa legislator. Scott brings over 20 years of experience in the field of ethical leadership, character development, and civility combined with 14 years of legislative experience as a member of the Iowa House of Representations (1999-2012). Scott served in numerous leadership roles in the legislature including chair of the House Appropriations Committee, chair of the Ethics Committee, and chair of the Midwest Council of Government’s Legislative Leadership Institute. Scott’s public service experience and professional passion for civility has led to his work with The Ray Center impacting state legislative leaders and staff in all 50 states and U.S. territories as well as leaders in Canada and Mexico.
Scott is a presenting faculty member of the Council of State Governments legislative leadership institutes in the West, Midwest, South, and East regions and has been featured as a keynote speaker and presenter on ethics and civility to state legislatures across the United States.
Don’t wait another day to help leaders develop their character and ethical leadership skills. We’d love to provide a free consultation to discuss how we can help you reach your goals.
We’re proud to be part of this hub for democratic discourse, dialogue, and action focused on renewing a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
The Ray Center provides customized professional development to impact state legislative leaders and other public officials through a partnership with the Council of State Governments (CSG). These professional development sessions focus on creating a culture of excellence and civility to the four regional CSG leadership academies:
Additional public service engagements through CSG include:
The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center’s mission is to improve civility through character development and ethical leadership.
The Ray Center applies research to mobilize positive, meaningful, and sustainable impact for stakeholders through assessment, development, and delivery of curricular resources, engaging training, outreach, special events, and partnership development impacting multiple stakeholder groups including those in the public service arena.The vision of The Ray Center is to transform lives and strengthen communities by equipping individuals and communities to embrace and practice good character and ethical leadership by demonstrating trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship.
The Ray Center is a local, statewide, and national leader in the development and delivery of best practices and engagement impacting civility.
Governor Robert D. Ray was an iconic statesman who served as Governor of the state of Iowa for fourteen years (1969-1983). He was also an international humanitarian who looked to positively impact the lives of others through the practical application of best practice strategies to support a better world. The work of The Ray Center in the public arena honors Governor Ray’s vision and lifelong engagement in public service that was exemplified by his character, ethical leadership, and civility.
As longtime Chairman of The Ray Center, Governor Ray led the strategic vision to bring together leading experts and collaborating organizations committed to the advancement of civility, ethical leadership, and character development. The impact of these initiatives has allowed The Ray Center to develop and export creative programming and achieve status as a premier think-tank for our core issues of civility, ethical leadership, and character development in our state, nation, and world.
2702 Forest Avenue
Des Moines, IA 50311
515-271-1910
RayCenter@Drake.edu
© 2022 The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University.