DR. M E R L E R A Y
Business Strategist, Consultant, Publisher
Certified & Licensed Professional
Ordained Minister, Author & Coach
Click to watch “Who is Dr. Merle Ray” video
Dr. Merle Ray is best described as a top performer for top performers in industry, and a gift to the Body of Christ in ministry. More than a coach, she is a business specialist, consultant, and strategist to for-profit large corporations, small business, non-profits, and churches. While most consultants just talk about business problems, Dr. Merle specializes in solving them with hands-on services, leadership, and support. For pastors and congregations, she uses God’s best-practices to impact the hearts, minds, and lives of His people.
Merle advanced to leadership within the world’s largest medical arena – the Texas Medical Center, in 1985 while employed at Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. While there, she excelled in the field of human capital management & HR technology, earning Employee of the Year and leading cultural transformation in a leadership capacity, all before earning her first college degree. In 1998, she became a top performing “eHR” Content Management Director in HR Services for five years with one of Fortune’s Most Admired companies. While there, she earned Outstanding Employee of the Quarter and was promoted to the senior visionary role for what became known as the company’s first successful eBusiness initiative.
In 2003, Merle started The Noble Groups, her own consulting firm, out of a desire to serve businesses, churches, and non-profits in her community. It was then that she became the first college graduate in her family along with her younger sister when they both earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Leadership from the College of Biblical Studies. Merle then finished higher education in the traditional university, earning a Master of Science degree in Leadership from Grand Canyon University in 2012.
In December 2019, Merle earned and was conferred as a Doctor of Philosophy in Christian Counseling and specializing in Life Coaching from Newburgh Theological Seminary, accredited by Transworld Accrediting Commission, the same organization that accredited some of the most widely respected faith-based colleges, such as: Dr. Bill Winston Living Word School of Ministry, Kenneth Copeland Bible College, Bayless Conley Cottonwood Leadership College, and Kenneth Hagin Rhema Bible Training College.
In the community, Dr. Ray has been honored for her work serving men, women, boys, and girls in Houston’s growing diverse economically disadvantaged populations. She chartered an initiative coaching women in their spiritual identity and mastering their authentic voice while volunteering at a Houston women’s shelter in 2003 not knowing that 8 years later she would be a divorced single mother of two young children and homeless. But with grace, she overcame the difficulty to express her care and concern for others, particularly emerging leaders and professional women who face overwhelming personal, professional, and spiritual challenge.
In industry, Dr. Ray has serve on the Executive team of a large local government accounting agency in the United States as a Chief Human Capital Strategist and Director from 2014 to 2018. Most recently, she has served on the organization’s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Support Team to present. In addition to her educational achievements and honors, Dr. Ray has holds more than four professional certifications:
- Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) from the Human Resources Certification Institute;
- Prosci Change Management Practitioner and Acuity Change Management Professional (CMP);
- Senior Professional in Public Management (IPMA-SCP) from the International Public Management Association; and
- Professional Coach Certification (PCC) from the International Coach Federation.
In her spare time, she enjoys life-long learning and achieving goals with friends and family. For example, she develops and publishes books and materials for other pastors and leaders. To date, she has published more than 60 books for pastors and leaders, and over 7 of her own. Giving back to her community, she has provided learning and performance plans, start-up business ideas and funding strategies to small business owners and churches throughout Houston, Texas. For non-profits, she has volunteered and worked as a consultant providing many hours of pro-bono grant-writing and capacity-building work writing more than 20 winning grant proposals totaling millions of dollars in multi-year funding projects for CDCs and non-profits. Because of her technology expertise and dedication to churches and leaders in their successful personal, professional, and spiritual transformation, today she is often called upon by pastors for consulting, training, ministering, and developing congregations on and offline in Christian discipleship and leadership. Through her company, The Noble Groups, Dr. Ray proves that both spiritual and human capital makes “dollars and sense” to the bottom-line.
Visit her website where you can Elevate Your Brilliance, Execute Your Vision, and Transform Your Life with www.DrMerleRay.com.