Ray Connolly

Ray Connolly has 22 years of experience in the field of welding in the aerospace, petrochemical, and power generation industries, and is now a welding engineer for a naval defense contractor. Ray also teaches part-time at Jefferson Community College in Missouri and is an active member of the American Welding Society.

Ray’s success at the SkillsUSA and WorldSkills competitions from 1997 to 1999, including bringing home a gold medal from WorldSkills, led to his first welding job out of college and his current teaching position. If not for his involvement with SkillsUSA, Ray claims he would not have gone to college or pursued a career in trade skills.

Ray’s expertise has been recognized globally, as he will serve as the WorldSkills competition’s Chief Expert in welding. In this role, he is responsible for planning and managing the technical aspects of the competition.