Notebook • Volume XX VI • 2018
Alumni Profile
R aymond B. Greer BS’86, MATHEMATICS
When Ray was 12 years old, his mother, Sandra J. Bromley,
“Her requirement was she would support me as long as
moved her young family from Texas to Utah. The year was 1976.
I didn’t quit school,” says Greer. “That is why the Bromley
Sandra was promptly hired at the University of Utah and
scholarship requires continuous attendance.”
enjoyed a successful career as a technical illustrator in the
The Bromley scholarship is designed to provide financial
College of Mines and Earth Sciences, under the direction of
support to undergraduate students who stay enrolled and make
Frank H. Brown.
steady progress towards a science degree. The award covers full
Ray spent his teenage years in Midvale and attended Hillcrest high school. “My mother was the single greatest influence in my life,”
tuition for up to four years. Four students currently hold the scholarship – Lauryn Angell, Faye Porter, Cindy Liao, and Michelle White. Greer visited
says Greer. “She taught me the value of hard work and persever-
campus in January and was able to meet and encourage the
ance. She also insisted that college was not optional. It was like
student recipients.
going from junior high to high school – you just did it!” Ray enrolled at the U for Fall semester 1981 and was initially interested in computer science and engineering. However,
Greer has more than 30 years of experience in logistics
computer science was highly competitive at the time so
and transportation industries. He has held senior management
available classes were scarce.
positions for Greatwide Logistics Services, Newgistics, Ryder
“Fortunately, Hugo Rossi, a math professor, convinced me that if I majored in mathematics I could get as much course work in computer science as I wanted. The rest is history,” says Greer. After receiving his math degree at the U, Greer went on to earn a Master’s of Science in Information Systems and Telecom-
Logistics and FedEx. He served as president of BNSF Logistics, headquartered near Dallas, Texas, from 2011 to 2018. “Math allows me to think critically about situations and problems generally. Not just numerically but logically, to find patterns and trends that point to likely outcomes,” says Greer. In February, he was selected as CEO of Omnitracs, the
munications from Christian Brothers University, a small private
leading company in onboard technology for the trucking
college in Memphis.
industry. Omnitracs is an international billion-dollar company
In 2000, after retiring from the U, Ray’s mother, Sandra, moved back to Texas for the remaining years of her life. She passed away in 2011. Shortly thereafter, Ray established the
that provides telematic devices and logistics to support drivers and their organizations to be compliant, safe and efficient. “Math is universal and most importantly teaches you
Sandra J. Bromley scholarship in the College of Science to honor
discipline and persistence to work a problem until it is solved.
his mother by providing a way for deserving students to earn a
That has served me more throughout my career than anything,”
college degree.
says Greer.
“She worked hard to provide for her family, but her greatest
12
On the Move
Greer has high hopes and expectations for today’s college
regret in life was not attending college, hence the vision behind
students. His advice: “Connecting with people, not apps and cell
the Bromley scholarship,” says Greer.
phones, will differentiate you from the competition.”
