Ray believes strongly in the Sister Cities philosophy of extending friendship with other countries and celebrating cultural diversity. He is in his second term as Vice-president of Sister Cities New Zealand.
Originally from Scotland, Ray came to New Zealand as a three-year-old, but remains very proud of his Scottish heritage. He has travelled extensively around the world.
Ray has served as a City Councillor and Mayor of Lower Hutt from October 2010-2019. It was his strong sense of service to the community and interest in local democracy that spurred him to stand for public office.
As Mayor for nine years, he strengthened relationships with Lower Hutt’s sister cities of Tempe in the United States, Minoh in Japan, and Taizhou in China . He is also the Chairman of the Hutt Minoh Friendship Trust, and has worked closely with his city’s Multicultural Council. Ray has also been a Justice of the Peace for 26 years.
He and his wife, Linda, a former International Relations Manager, enjoy spending any spare time they have with family and friends.
