Community honors Ray for dedicated service

Felicity Ray will retire Saturday as the executive director of the Ozark Foothills Regional Planning Commission. She was honored Tuesday evening at a retirement reception.

Ray is preparing to step into a consulting position so she may devote more time to her family and her health.

Greater Poplar Bluff Area Chamber of Commerce President Steve Halter praises Ray and her work.

“Felicity has been a Godsend to our community and region for so many years,” Halter said. “We have been blessed to have her in that capacity, but I am confident that Crystal will do an exceptional job as well.”

Ray joined the commission staff 19 years ago as a part-time writer for health care resources and needs assessment, which led to full time, she said.

She worked for Director Don Bell until his retirement, and, consequently, under Dr. Greg Batson. In 2004, Ray became the planning commission’s associate director. She was promoted to the top position in 2008 and “I have been here ever since,” she said.

Ray explained she will continue to work with the commission as a consultant, if Crystal Jones wants her to. Jones is adamant she wants Ray’s assistance and advice.

The planning commission serves five counties, which include Butler, Carter, Reynolds, Ripley and Wayne, 16 cities and 84,000 people.

Ray said the commission’s annual budget is $1.1 million and the executive director is responsible for bringing in the money.

The Ozark Regional Foothills Planning Commission offers ancillary programs to help improve quality of life in the region. This includes programs that provide rent assistance, office space for new and growing businesses, a recycling program and more.

The Section 8 rental assistance program helps “families in our five county area with rent subsidies,” Ray said. The annual budget for the rental assistance program is a $1.5 million effort.

“Our business incubator has 10 spaces available for new and growing businesses at low lease cost,” Ray said. “This type of offering is unique among Missouri’s 19 regional planning organizations.”

Ray explained, the planning commission is one of only a few in the state to operate a recycling and solid waste programs, which is also unusual.

“I do have to say I truly love our region and am most thankful for being able to help our dedicated public servants help their communities,” she said.

Ray continued by listing a few of those as elected officials, volunteer firefighters, nutrition and library board members and other non-profit agencies.

“It is a privilege to be able to use your God-given talents to help folks build better roads and sidewalks, restore clean water and sanitary sewer for a community, construct new firehouses and nutrition centers, and develop programs that harness philanthropic resources to help fund such causes,” she said.

“We do things that really matter and are always looking for ways to help the region,” Ray said, “Our business incubator needs a $75,000 roof if anyone would like to make a donation for tax credits.”

“One thing I am most excited about is the future of our regional endowment fund, which was established in 2017 to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the planning commission. We endowed $400,000 of the commission’s savings with the Ozark Foothills Regional Community Foundation,” Ray said. “We will allow it to grow for 10 years. In year 11, we will be able to grant eligible cities and counties funds to match federal and state grants.”

Talking about her retirement, Ray also addressed her health issues.

“I am currently receiving an experimental treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, every three weeks for a metastatic breast cancer diagnosis I received in 2015. Given the time demands imposed by travel to treatment combined with my family responsibilities, I could not in good conscience continue as a full-time director,” Ray said. “My response to this treatment has been positive and we pray it continues.”

“I am married to my amazing husband Brandon Ray, who works in the agriculture industry in Butler County,” Ray said. “Our ‘miracle’ son, Brady, will be ‘fwee’ (3) years old in May.”

Ray was born and raised in Doniphan on the banks of the Current River, where her parents and three sisters — Julianne, Michaela and Gwen — still reside.