Ray Jefferson is the newly appointed Assistant Secretary for the Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) at the U.S. Department of Labor. VETS serves as the national advocate for Veterans’ Employment. VETS’ mission is to provide Veterans and Service Members with the resources and services to succeed in the 21st century workforce by maximizing their employment opportunities, protecting their employment rights and meeting labor-market demands with qualified Veterans.

Prior to being appointed to this role by President Barack Obama, he served as a Leadership Consultant with McKinsey & Company in Singapore where he created and delivered leadership training and development programs for clients and offices throughout Asia. His focus areas were organizational change, inspirational leadership, top team development and peak performance.

Ray graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a major in leadership. He served as an Army Officer with the infantry, Rangers and Special Forces, with leadership positions in the U.S. Presidential Honor Guard, 3rd Ranger Battalion and 1st Special Forces Group. While attempting to protect his teammates from a hand grenade detonating prematurely during classified Special Forces training, he lost all five fingers on his left hand.

After recuperating in Hawaii, Ray attended Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, earning an MPA in Strategic Management with Distinction as a Littauer Fellow. He then earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and was recognized with the Dean's Award for exceptional leadership and service. Upon graduation, he was selected as a White House Fellow and worked as a Special Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Ray then served as a Fulbright Fellow in Singapore, where he studied leadership within Asian contexts. Afterwards, he served as the Deputy Director for the State of Hawaii’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT). DBEDT’s mission involves creating jobs, facilitating business development, diversifying the economy and creating renewable energy initiatives. While at DBEDT, he co-led the organizational transformation for a department of over 230 team members with an operating budget of $182 million.

Ray was selected by then-Secretary of State Colin Powell as one of the two inaugural recipients of the Harrison H. Schmitt Fulbright Alumni Leadership Award for dedication to public service. He is a member of the Asia Society, the Fulbright Association, the NAACP and the Special Forces Association. Born and raised in Guilderland, New York, his home is Honolulu, Hawaii.