Ray Bonilla was born, raised, and educated in Hayward, in fact he was born at St. Rose Hospital. Ray attended Hayward public schools from Harder Elementary through Cal State University, East Bay. Over the last two decades, Ray has dedicated his time to public service and served on various Hayward commissions making positive impacts and contributing to important initiatives. Throughout his tenure on the Hayward Youth Commission, Hayward Community Services Commission, Hayward Planning Commission, and now as an appointed member of the Hayward City Council, Ray has consistently worked in collaboration with diverse stakeholders to address the most pressing issues facing our city. Ray’s years of service to the Hayward community and his experience as a lifelong resident give him a comprehensive understanding of our city's needs and challenges.

Beyond Hayward, Ray Bonilla has been actively involved in county-wide, statewide, and national initiatives and partnerships. Notably, Ray served five years on the EveryOne Home Alameda County Leadership Board where he worked to address homelessness and advance equity. As a housing advocate, Ray has championed many initiatives to increase affordable housing and supportive services for vulnerable populations across Alameda County.

Additionally, Ray serves as co-chair of the California Earthquake Alliance which focuses on enhancing community disaster resilience statewide. In his professional roles, Ray has worked tirelessly to ensure underserved communities are prioritized in disaster management strategies by spearheading public-private partnerships and championing equity-focused resilience initiatives. He has also served as a Member and Resilience Advisor to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Through his advisory role, he worked collaboratively with experts from diverse sectors to build resilience to extreme events at the community, regional, national, and international levels.

Ray will bring his unique leadership on government and private sector emergency response from his more than 15 years working in senior roles for major companies including as the Head of Global Business Resilience at Elevance Health, Head of Global Business Continuity at Meta Platforms, and as the Executive Director for Resilience and Recovery Services at Kaiser Permanente. Ray specializes in organizational management, business continuity, health equity, crisis management, and global resilience.

Ray Bonilla holds an MBA from the University of San Francisco and a BA in Communications from Cal State East Bay.

Ray Bonilla takes pride in family and community. He enjoys spending time with his mom, dad, sister, and three nephews and two nieces doing things around Hayward.