Ray Harrigill
President & Founder
Ray is a Mississippi native and a graduate of Millsaps College and the Mississippi College School of Law. He holds an undergraduate degree in business, a Master of Business Administration, and a Juris Doctorate. Ray began his career in the restaurant business while in school. He was recruited to run a group of restaurants in his last year of law school and completed his degree while running 26 restaurants in three states for Jackies International, Inc. In December of 1996, he left that position to start The Sunray Companies, LLC when he purchased a single restaurant in Jackson, MS.
Since 1996, Ray has remained focused on building an award-winning company that operates best in class brands. His vision of sustainability includes operating businesses that enhance the lives of the guests and team members. Over the past three decades, the company has continually honed its ability to recruit great team members and develop processes to provide high level customer experiences.
In addition to the operating businesses that Sunray owns, Ray is also a licensed general contractor. This has allowed the company to develop, build and maintain its own properties. With Ray’s expertise in development, construction and operations, The Sunray Companies is poised for additional growth.
“Never confuse motion with action.”
Benjamin Franklin
Monica Harrigill
Managing Member, Co-Founder
Monica, a Mississippi native, is a graduate of Millsaps College and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. In November 2017, Monica graduated with a certificate from the Owner/President Management Program (OPM) at Harvard Business School. OPM is a rigorous, 9-week Executive Education program held over a 3-year period for business owners and entrepreneurs with at least 15 years of management experience and hold a major equity stake in their company.
Monica began her career working for her family as a restaurant manager when she finished college in 1988 at the age of 18. She quickly moved up to multi-unit and multi-concept management ultimately running a conglomerate of restaurants, hotels, and convenience stores with up to 70 locations and 1,600 employees as Executive Vice President of Jackies International, Inc. and Certified Hospitality Corp, Inc. for over 20 years. Along with Ray, Monica also founded The Sunray Companies in 1996. In 2016, Monica joined the Sunray leadership team full-time as part of the strategic planning focus for the company. Monica’s expertise in systems, operations, project management and human resource development adds significant depth to the capabilities of The Sunray Companies.
Monica was named to the 50 Leading Businesswomen in 2003 and the Top 40 under 40 in 2004 by the Mississippi Business Journal. She completed the Emory University IAHI/IHG Leadership Institute in 2007. Monica is also passionate about giving back to the Mississippi community and volunteers time for a variety of Mississippi-based charities and organizations including serving as a Trustee for Millsaps College for 20 years.
“From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.”
Luke 12:48
Amber Sukhbaatar
Vice President of Culture & Marketing
A Mississippi resident since the age of six, Amber joined The Sunray Companies in January 2017. She has over 25 years of experience with multi-unit, multi-concept family-owned hospitality companies. Amber’s background in public relations, advertising and marketing coupled with her skills in HR, training, strategic planning, guest and team member relations, and sales adds comprehensive support to The Sunray Companies in achieving strategic, operational, and marketing goals while enriching guest and team member experiences. She also leads legislative efforts in Mississippi and Louisiana to support the massage therapy and cosmetology industries.
Amber graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with an undergraduate degree in journalism (public relations emphasis) and a Master of Science in Public Relations. She holds a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) professional certification and obtained a Columbia Business School Executive Education Digital Marketing professional certificate in 2021 and Disney Institute Quality Service professional certificate in 2023. Amber served on the Massage Envy Franchisee Advisory Committee from 2021-2022 in addition to other working groups with the Massage Envy network. She was recognized with The Sunray Companies Enhancing Lives Award in 2019.
Amber enjoys traveling, interior design, volunteering her time in the community, football, and spending time with her family. She served as Promotions Co-Chair for the 2021 Canopy Butterfly Ball. Amber also served as Steering Committee Promotions Chair for both Touch A Truck Jackson 2016 and Mistletoe Marketplace 2018 with the Junior League of Jackson. She held the position of President for the Canton Chamber of Commerce/Main Street Association board of directors for two separate terms. She was also named Top 40 Under 40 by the Mississippi Business Journal in 2006. She and her husband Mike reside in Madison and have two children, Amaya and Taij.
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”
Melody Beattie
Amy Hudson
Vice President of Hotel Operations
Amy is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University, and served in the Louisiana Army National Guard for six years. She has over 16 years of experience in the hotel industry, and began her career with The Sunray Companies as Director of Sales in 2006. Amy’s passion for hospitality and focus on caring for guests is the engine that drives The Sunray Companies’ hotel division. Amy currently serves as Treasurer of the Louisiana Hotel & Lodging Association; President of the Tangipahoa Parish Hotel & Lodging Association; and is a Board Member of the Tangipahoa Parish Convention & Visitor Bureau.
“There are painters who transform the sun into a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art, and their intelligence, transform a yellow spot into the sun.”
Pablo Picasso
Catherine Sullivan
Vice President of Retail Operations
A graduate of Holmes Community College, Catherine’s journey with The Sunray Companies began in 2006 as a key holder at Palm Beach Tan in Ridgeland. With her passion for operations and training, she quickly moved to general manager and training/development manager for Palm Beach Tan. In 2010, Catherine was promoted to General Manager of Massage Envy in Flowood and then to Senior District Manager for the Massage Envy division in 2011. Catherine was instrumental in the opening of our first seven Massage Envy clinics and was named Supervisor of the Year for 2016. Catherine was promoted to Director of Operations for the Massage Envy division and then to Director of Operations for our Retail Divisions in late 2018. She completed the Millsaps Advanced Applied Leadership Program in 2021.
Catherine’s current role allows her to utilize her talents in systems, efficiencies, training and development to create dynamic retail divisions that are results-driven. Catherine resides in Brandon with her husband, Chris, her two adorable boys, Hayes and Jax, and her dog, Stella.
“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.”
Jennifer Lee
Chandler Tipton, CPA, CITP
Chief Financial Officer
A native Mississippian, Chandler Tipton joined The Sunray Companies in April 2024. He is a graduate of Millsaps College with a major in Accounting and a minor in Political Science. Chandler is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Information Technology Professional.
Prior to joining Sunray, Chandler practiced with KPMG LLP as a Managing Director. He specialized in serving multi-national corporate clients. Chandler delivered services supporting his clients’ international operations. During his 32-year career at KPMG, Chandler worked in several positions with responsibilities in tax, accounting, knowledge management, technology, and business process improvement. He was based in KPMG offices in Jackson, MS; Paris, France; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Washington, DC; and New York, NY during his career.
Chandler has served frequently as a distinguished speaker on tax, technology, and business process improvement topics. He regularly instructed KPMG continuing education courses. Chandler has been recognized by the Mississippi Business Journal as a Leader in Finance.
Chandler resides in Madison with his wife Julie and their three children. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, watching college sports, and finding new BBQ joints to try. Chandler serves as a volunteer adult leader with BSA Troop 15 and serves on the district Eagle Scout Review Board.
“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things.”
Ronald Reagan
Melinda Davis
Director of People & Development
Melinda embarked on her journey with The Sunray Companies in 2006, joining the Palm Beach Tan division. Her tenure with Palm Beach Tan saw her instrumental in launching the Flowood location and contributing to operations at the Hattiesburg salon. Balancing work and studies, Melinda pursued her Bachelor’s in Social Work at the University of Southern Mississippi.
In 2012, Melinda joined the Massage Envy division, where she was later promoted to the General Manager position at the Maywood clinic in February 2014. Her exceptional performance was recognized with the Massage Envy Top Year-Over-Year Growth Revenue accolade in 2014 and the prestigious Sunray Manager of the Year for the Massage Envy division in 2015.
Continuing to excel, Melinda's leadership and revenue-driving initiatives led to her promotion to District Manager in 2017, where she provided oversight to six Massage Envy clinics. Embracing the joys of parenthood, Melinda and her husband welcomed a baby boy in 2021, marking a new chapter in her professional journey as she joined our office team in a new role as Director of People and Development. With her dedication and proven track record, Melinda is poised to drive organizational success and nurture the talents within our company.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Melinda finds joy in outdoor adventures, travel, and active involvement in her church and community. She and her husband, James, along with their three children, call Brandon their home.
“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some style.”
Maya Angelou
Stephanie Welborn
Accounting & Office Manager
Stephanie is a Mississippi native and joined The Sunray Companies in April of 2016. She is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, and she holds a BSBA in Accounting. Stephanie has over twenty-five years of accounting experience dealing with various industries and includes owning/managing her own company with her husband. Her unique experience as a business owner and extensive background in accounting enhances Sunray’s growing accounting division. Stephanie enjoys traveling, antiquing and spending time with family. She currently lives in Madison with her husband and three daughters.
“The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today.”
H. Jackson Brown Jr.
Davis Simmons
Director of Operations, Maintenance and Construction
Davis grew up in Jackson, Mississippi. He graduated from Ole Miss with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Throughout college, he trained dogs in Oxford, MS. He then went on to attend Mississippi College School of Law where he earned his law degree.
Before joining The Sunray Companies in 2024, he worked for Markow Walker, P.A., a Workers’ Compensation law firm. Davis is married to Sarah French Simmons, who he’s been with since the 9th grade. They have a 6-year-old British lab, Zeus, who is his hunting buddy. Davis is an avid duck and turkey hunter and also loves to fish.
“Tough times don’t last, tough people do.”
Robert H. Schuller
Erik Frank
Certified Petra Coach – Scaling Up & Executive Coaching
Erik Frank’s competitive spirit started on a tennis court when he was seven years old and moved to the national powerlifting platform, where strength and discipline won him the 2010 National Powerlifting Championship. He stepped off the powerlifting platform and into the boardroom, where Erik passionately focuses on 3 things: people, strategy and winning. With a fundamental understanding that ultimate success comes from hundreds of tiny habits learned and repeated daily, Erik works with companies to develop people and implement strategy that will enable them to win in their industries.
Erik’s passion for health and wellness inspired him to start Your Nutrition Delivered (YND) in 2011, a corporate health food company and rewards platform. YND grew into an industry leader that provided more than 25,000 meals a day to employees around the country. Erik was named Entrepreneur of the Year in New Orleans in 2015 and led YND to a successful exit in 2016. Currently, Erik is in his second term as the Louisiana Chapter President for the Entrepreneurs Organization, recognized in 2018 as the fastest growing chapter in the world. Additionally, Erik serves as a regional mentor for EO, working with chapter Presidents around board health and strategic growth. The Sunray Companies started our Scaling Up & Petra Coaching journey with Erik in late 2022 to assist our team with alignment, processes and accountability as our company continues to grow rapidly.
Erik Frank brings his unique passion for leading, winning and serving to his members as a coach for Petra. He operates with a perspective that “the key is not the will to win…everybody has that. It is the will to prepare to win that is important.” Erik is a dedicated husband to his wife, Rebecca, and father to two children, Elijah and Cecilia.
Thomas Hasselbring
Petra Accountability Coach
Thomas was born and raised in Nashville – what we call a unicorn. He graduated from the University of Tennessee Knoxville with a degree in Supply Chain Management and International Business and has experience working in the service industry both in restaurants and housing.
Following college Thomas worked in real estate until Petra came a callin’. His years in the service industry really taught him well to see around the curves and anticipate needs which is a huge asset to to all of us at Petra. He has a love for learning and being continuously curious and admits he can sometimes be a bit of a geek when it comes to learning things related to History or Business. As our Accountability Coach for Sunray, Thomas provides support, insight and recommendations as our team implements and refines processes to achieve scalability with purpose as Sunray continues to grow.
In his free time Thomas loves to cook and test new recipes. His favorite things are traveling and spending time with family and friends!