Ray Atkinson is an expert public relations strategist with more than 12 years of experience in strategic planning, crisis and issues management, reputation management, media relations and change/M&A communications. He most recently served as director of corporate communications for Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, a Fortune 500 company with more than 50,000 employees and $8 billion in annual net sales.

Ray holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mass communication with a concentration in public relations from Towson University in Towson, Md. He has earned the Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) designation from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) designation from the Universal Accreditation Board of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).  He has been recognized with numerous awards for excellence in public relations and communications throughout his career.

He also serves as president and chairman of the Harrisonburg Education Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the educational experience for all students in the Harrisonburg City Public Schools.