Team
Ray Via II serves as Associate Director of Professional Services at AT&T Consulting, where he leads operations and high-performing teams supporting several strategic State of Texas accounts. With more than twenty-five years of experience, he has built a reputation for developing and guiding teams of top-tier professionals in IoT, cybersecurity, and network technologies for government agencies and financial institutions. Ray’s career is defined by his ability to cultivate talent, drive operational excellence, and deliver results under challenging circumstances.
Throughout his career, Ray has consistently led teams composed of some of the brightest and most innovative minds in the industry. His leadership is characterized by fostering collaboration, empowering team members, and overcoming technological and operational limitations to achieve mission-critical objectives. Early in his career, he helped build the Operations Center for the U.S. Air Force Air Combat Command.
As Engagement Manager for the Federal Aviation Administration’s ADS-B program, Ray successfully guided a team through the complex modernization of air traffic systems, leveraging their expertise to implement innovative solutions despite logistical and technical challenges. He also established a Cyber Security Services program for the State of Texas that strengthened many agencies, as the Managed Security Services through DIR continues today.
A staunch advocate for analytics, automation, and standardized processes, Ray has designed strategies that enhance team performance, improve hiring efficiency, and streamline operations. He implemented a recruiting system that reduced hiring times from months to weeks and standardized procedures for managing events and tickets across multiple centers, enabling teams to operate cohesively and respond rapidly to evolving demands.
Ray earned both his undergraduate degree in Network Technologies and his MBA with an emphasis in Managing Information Technology Teams from Capella University. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in military history with a focus on World War II, channeling his expertise in leadership, analytics, and organizational strategy into understanding historical decision-making, technology, and command structures.
Ray’s professional journey is deeply intertwined with a family legacy of service and leadership. He served in the U.S. Air Force Reserve as a crew chief on C-5 aircraft at Dover Air Force Base. His son serves as a U.S. Marine, his father served during the Bay of Pigs crisis, and two uncles fought in World War II—one landing in Normandy with the 393rd Engineers. His grandfather, Rufus Via, served as a doughboy with the 116th Infantry Regiment, 29th Division in France during World War I, participating in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. His great-grandfather, Wiley Via, served during the Civil War, riding with General Robert E. Lee’s forces around Richmond. Going further back, David Via, Wiley’s father, served in the militia during the Revolutionary War, including action at Concord. This multi-generational dedication to service and leadership continues to inspire his professional ethos.
Ray resides in Austin, Texas, with his wife of 28 years. Together, they have raised four grown children and are actively parenting four more middle and high schoolers. Outside of work and family, he enjoys flying, traveling, and reading—particularly works on military history and fantasy literature.