Ray Mabus

Former Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus endorsed U.S. Senator Barack Obama for president in April 2007.  The Obama campaign also tapped Ray Mabus as a senior adviser and a surrogate speaker.

Bill Clinton appointed Ray Mabus as the ambassador to Saudi Arabia.  Ray Mabus served in that capacity from 1994-1996. In this capacity, Ray Mabus worked to end to the Saudi boycott on America firms doing business in Israel.

Ray Mabus was elected Governor of Mississippi in 1987 and served one term from 1988 through 1992.  For his work in the field of education as governor, Ray Mabus was honored by Fortune Magazine. During his term in office Mabus stamped his approval on the B.E.S.T. (Better Education for Success Tomorrow), was a package of comprehensive educational reform legislation. The legislation provided teachers with the largest pay increase in the country.

During his tenure, Mississippi saw a record increase in exports, jobs, investments and tourism. In 1999, Mississippians selected Ray Mabus as the best governor of the millennium in a poll by the Jackson Clarion-Lledger.

Following his Ambassadorship, Ray Mabus served on corporate and charitable boards. From 2006 through the beginning of 2007, Ray Mabus served as the Chairman and CEO of Foamex International and raised the company out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in nine months. Ray Mabus also served on the board of Enersys, the largest industrial battery manufacturer in the world. After Hurricane Katrina Ray Mabus began the Help and Hope Foundation in an effort to assist the children who were impacted by the disaster. Ray Mabus raises money, specifically for Mississippi charities by selling his own photography

Ray Mabus has received several awards including the U.S. Dept. of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award, the Martin Luther King Social Responsibility Award, the U.S. Army’s Distinguished Civilian Service Award, the King Abdul Aziz Award, the National Wildlife Federation Conservation Achievement Award and the Mississippi Association of Educators’ friend of Education Award.

Ray Mabus lives in Mississippi with his wife Lynne.  The couple has three children Elisabeth, Annie and Kate. Ray Mabus was born in Starkville, Mississippi and was raised in Ackerman, Miss. Ray Mabus’ educational career includes graduating from the University of Mississippi, earning a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from Harvard University where he graduated magna cum laude.