Ray Douha, a veteran of  the U.S. Navy, has been named Director of Veterans Employment Services at DEED. 

Douha is not new to DEED nor to the Veterans Employment Services program. Most recently, he served as a field operations manager where he successfully hired, trained and provided program guidance to 17 veterans staff at DEED. He also served as Unemployment Insurance supervisor, responsible for project management, veterans’ outreach, performance management, and the overall customer experience.

While stationed in San Diego, CA with the U.S. Navy, Douha was attached to Helicopter Combat Search and Rescue Antisubmarine Squadron. He held positions as work center supervisor, flight deck coordinator, and air warfare specialist. Ray completed several deployments to Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Ray took part in the Tsunami humanitarian efforts in Southeast Asia, Afghanistan: Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and Iraq: Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). 

I know him to be a multilingual team player and genial collaborator who is well-respected by staff and partners alike.  

Douha is a graduate of Globe University, earning a Master of Business Administration, and the University of St. Thomas, where he completed a Mini Master of Project Management. 

Currently, about 327,000 veterans live in Minnesota, 153,000 of whom are of working age. Over 20,000 Minnesotans are serving in the United States Armed Forces, and this includes active duty, National Guard, and Reserve forces.  

Coming off the 13th annual Veterans Career Fair, we know veterans returning from deployments face higher rates of unemployment and experience more challenges entering the workforce and advancing in their careers.  

In his new role, Douha will be tasked with finding meaningful employment for the nearly 4,100 unemployed veterans in Minnesota. 

I look forward to his invaluable leadership and management perspectives.  

– Deputy Commissioner Hamse Warfa