Raymond J. Manista, Arts ’87, Law ’90, was elected to the Marquette University Board of Trustees in 2017 and was elected vice chair of the board in 2023.

He is executive vice president — chief legal and public affairs officer at Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In this role, he is responsible for the company’s law and public affairs function, including the law, enterprise compliance, privacy, government relations, enterprise sustainability departments, and the Northwestern Mutual Foundation. He also serves on the company's Senior Leadership Team.

Ray joined Northwestern Mutual in 1998 and has held a number of legal and business roles since that time, including vice president — corporate planning, where he was responsible for the company’s strategy development and planning, and vice president — litigation counsel, which involved oversight of all litigation involving the company or its affiliates, among several other roles.

Ray came to Northwestern Mutual from his shareholder position at Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., Milwaukee, where he practiced commercial litigation.

He received his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Marquette University, and later earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from Marquette University Law School, and is admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

Ray has served on several boards including All-In Milwaukee; Milwaukee Succeeds; Milwaukee Repertory Theater; Association of Life Insurance Counsel (president — 2016-17); Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare — Southeast Wisconsin; Milwaukee College Preparatory School; and the Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund. He credits Marquette with helping him develop a strong sense of compassion, empathy, and inclusiveness for people around him.

Ray is married to Dawne, who graduated from Marquette’s College of Health Sciences with a degree in physical therapy. They have three children, Tyler, Sydney, and Jarred, and reside in Milwaukee. Ray and Dawne are members of the Marquette University Archbishop Henni Founders Society and the Marquette University President’s Society.