Diane Ray ’74 works for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) in College Services.  An educator for close to fifty years, Diane is retired from public schools and has served educators in Georgia by providing professional learning for the last 16 years.

After retiring from the Cobb County School District as a principal, Diane started her second career at PAGE.  During this time, her focus has been on quality professional learning for teacher leaders, principals and teacher candidates.  Currently serving 40 college and university campuses in Georgia, Diane has had the unique opportunity to work with junior and senior education majors and assist them as they transition to the professional world. The Professional Association of Georgia Educators provides educators with professional learning that enhances competence, confidence and leadership skills leading to higher achievement for students, while providing the best in membership, legislative and legal support.  With more than 97,000 educators, administrators and school support personnel, PAGE is Georgia’s largest association for educators.  

Prior to her service with PAGE, Diane served as the principal of two different middle schools in the Cobb County School District. There she directed the implementation of curriculum and instruction, hired expert teachers, designed and administered quality professional learning and coordinated the overall school operation.  In 2001, Diane was appointed the principal of a new school in Cobb County.  This opportunity provided her with new avenues to grow a school culture from three different middle schools within the school district.  Ultimately, she hired an entire faculty and staff, created a school vision and mission, selected, and ordered over $8 million of equipment, while designing and executing the school operation.  

Throughout Diane’s career, she has been active in professional organizations that advanced the mission of education.  She has served on the board of directors for these professional organizations and in 2004 served as the President of PAGE.  This honor provided her with opportunities to work with legislators in Georgia and in Washington, D.C., on behalf of Georgia’s students and teachers.  Diane is passionate about making Georgia a better place for teachers to teach and students to learn. 

Diane holds a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Alabama, a specialist and master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision, and a bachelor’s degree from North Georgia in Health and Physical Education.   At North Georgia, she was President of the Physical Education Majors Club and was the first person to student teach in the newly certified Physical Education program.  She is a founding member of the Epsilon Gamma Chapter of Kappa Delta sorority.