Becoming president of a national philanthropic organization is achieved in many steps -- evaluating experiences, people, and the mission along the way -- until it becomes the right fit.

That’s how it evolved for Jill Bray, the new president of ARCS Foundation National for the next two years. She admits that “volunteering is simply part of my DNA” and that she was influenced by her family’s tradition of community service, starting with her grandfather.  

Bray was introduced to the ARCS Phoenix Chapter via a friend, and the ARCS mission “had a huge appeal to me, the STEM focus and helping young people complete their education.”  She joined the chapter in 2016 and started in a leadership role as co-chair of the University Relations Committee. “I jumped right in, which bonded me to the organization.” When she thought about possibly becoming chair of University Relations, “You pay attention differently,” Bray says, “if you think there’s a chance you’ll be in charge. You’re not just idling in the background.”

Bray has not “idled” within ARCS. She became chair of University Relations for the Phoenix Chapter.  This led to her later implementing an operational change by having one specific member assigned to each of the Chapter’s three universities rather than a single volunteer running University Relations and overseeing all three schools.  The added bonus to the change was getting scholar alums involved as chapter leaders. She served as president of the Chapter for two years, leading them through a transition to virtual meetings during COVID and creating a Scholar Alumni membership category. During this time, she became involved at the National ARCS level, serving on several committees, including the Council of Presidents, eventually chairing national University Relations and Chapter Engagement, where she helped launch the lecture series ARCS Forward and created the Invite to Ignite Membership Challenge.

“I’ve kept myself really busy at ARCS National, and that was good training to be president,” she explains.

She worked for 22 years as a radiation therapist, where her day consisted of “15-minute increments” with each patient. She now values the ability to help ARCS National finesse its long-range plan. Bray says she is mystified by the federal government’s large cuts of financial support for scientific research and grants. “It's a challenging time, for sure,” she says. “But I think, coming into this as president, I feel our mission is really relevant.”

Her various volunteer roles over the years have included hands-on projects like filling backpacks with food for school children to serving as Board President of the Komen Foundation. She has chaired fundraising events for John C. Lincoln Hospital and Childsplay Theater and has had leadership roles with the Junior League of Phoenix.   

Bray grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and moved to Phoenix in 1992. She is married to David, and they have an adult son, Cameron.  Family is very important.  Bray makes a cross-country trek each summer to Chautauqua Lake, New York, to spend the summer with her family.