Doing It His Way

Elevator safety champion Ray Downs retires after a long and rewarding career. 

Charismatic, personable, enthusiastic and filled with knowledge about elevators and working safely — knowledge he loves to share — Ray Downs is known throughout the vertical-transportation (VT) industry as a champion of safety. Whether in the field or at an industry event, Downs never hesitates to give a presentation in front of a crowd, be on a panel, talk one-on-one with anyone interested or jump onstage for a hands-on demonstration about, for example, proper lock out/tag out procedures. From a young automotive safety and labor relations manager in New Jersey who admittedly knew nothing about elevators, over the decades Downs has evolved into an elevator expert. Environmental Health and Safety, or EHS, has been a career constant, and Downs has blended his passions for both elevators and EHS to make his employers’ companies — and the VT industry in general — a better and safer place.

Downs spent a professional lifetime learning about the VT industry while honing his management style. He retired as senior vice president of EHS at NYC-based TEI Group at the end of 2023. For the occasion, the team at TEI put together a tribute video to the tune of Sinatra’s “I Did It My Way” that Downs says brought a tear to his eye. “I was so proud when I saw it for the first time,” he says. “The tribute was very humbling for me and my family, and it was done so professionally by [TEI Marketing Specialist] Mercedes Augusta and many office contributors.”

From the time he started in the elevator industry, doing things Downs’ way has involved listening closely to and learning from respected industry leaders and experts, keeping up with industry technology and best practices and lending a helping hand whenever called upon — whether it’s crafting safety policies, editing publications or writing in-depth articles for this publication. His motto has always been, and at TEI Group for the past 12 years, “Your family depends on you to come home safely every day.” 

Upon retirement, that motto still no doubt stands, and Downs plans to stay involved in the VT industry by remaining on national safety committees and contributing his expertise through writing and editing. He is especially proud that the 2025 edition of the Elevator Industry Field Employees’ Safety Handbook will include the “9 Safety Absolutes,” a universally accepted set of VT safety rules that trace their origin to Downs’ days at Otis. In the meantime, in retirement, Downs plans to spend valuable time with his family, do a little fishing, take long drives in his beloved 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 and play a little golf. He and his wife of 47 years (and high school sweetheart), Gail, bought a home in Port Saint Lucie, Florida, that promises to be ideal for all those relaxing pursuits and more. 

The Beginning

Growing up in the small New Jersey town of South Amboy in the 1950s, Downs wanted to be a mailman like his father, delivering letters and packages to residents in an approximately 1 mi² area. But, after earning a degree in business management, his career took a different path: Downs was hired as a clerk at first, then a safety/labor relations manager at the GM Manufacturing plant in Linden, New Jersey — a company he would stay with for more than 11 years. In the mid-1980s, Downs shifted over to aerospace, working for Schlumberger Industries for a short time before getting a phone call from the safety director at GM asking Downs if he would like to interview for the Northeast regional EHS manager position at UTX Otis Elevator Co. Knowing “nothing about elevators,” Downs’ October 1989 interview went very well, and he was hired. Thus began an elevator industry career that would span 34 years. 

Downs recalls: 

“I did not know the difference between a position indicator, hall button, compensating rope sheave or motor room. I did not even know what the inside of a hoistway looked like or how dark it can be while riding on top of a car with only a top car light illuminated. When you do not know much, you do either one of two things: Hang in there and hope you make it or buckle down, learn the job and processes and listen and observe so you can understand how something operates.” 

Downs chose the latter, and steadily grew into an elevator expert, customizing EHS best practices for an industry he would come to love. He traveled (and learned) a lot for the first 13 years of his elevator career. As Otis Northeast Regional EHS manager based in Montvale, New Jersey, he traveled up to 50% of the time in order to visit all 64 Otis locations from Bangor, Maine, to West Virginia (including the entire NYC metro area). Downs was subsequently reassigned, first to the Midwest region and then to the entire Eastern seaboard, covering Maine to Puerto Rico — a distance of roughly 1,875 mi. He was now traveling about 75% of the time. 

A Safety Icon Evolves

At the same time, he was learning valuable lessons and developing his management style. Downs says: 

“I worked with a talented group of EHS managers, and we taught and learned from one another. I learned to listen and follow directions, as well as — at times — disagree to get my point(s) across. Everyone has their own management style, and coming from the New York/New Jersey area, you have a different type of mentality because of the fast pace of the region. We do not want to wait to get it done: We want it done yesterday. It was a learning curve, and I’m so thankful for those I worked with who allowed me to learn from them and adjust my style to be successful.” 

After overseeing EHS, Downs transitioned to field construction superintendent in the Mid-Atlantic region, a role he held for approximately 10 years. “It was a real eye-opener for me,” he recalls, as he had to now implement in the field the safety programs the Otis North American Operations (NAO) Safety Department (of which he was a part) developed at Otis NAO. 

After a short stint as VT project manager for Tishman Construction based in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Downs joined NYC-based TEI Group as vice president of EHS, receiving a promotion three years later to senior VP. These roles he held until his retirement at the end of 2023. 

Downs reflects on how he has “done it his way” throughout his career:

“In the beginning, I was a tough regional safety manager, then a respected field construction superintendent. But I always had one goal: to get the field employee home safely to their family every night and make a profit for the company, but safely. However, over three decades in the elevator industry, I developed a different approach to ‘doing it my way’ by listening more, communicating clearly, writing to the reader, learning from those in the field and department managers and not being afraid to compromise to resolve a problem. My teaching style is like sitting at your dinner table discussing the day’s problems and concerns with your loved ones.” 

Although work conversations always come back to promoting safety, Downs says he typically always starts one by asking about the person’s family — “a great way to let someone know you care about them and their families and it is not always just ‘work, work, work.’” At the end of the day, though, regardless of whether conversations are professional, personal or a blend of both, making sure employees make it home safely is what it’s all about as far as Downs is concerned. He hopes that the mark he has left on the VT industry is one of improved safety. Downs says he promoted safety “no matter where I was or who I met or spoke to” and developed and taught countless safety training programs, as well as conducted field safety compliance assessments to ensure understanding and execution. 

One Industry United in Safety

Downs has served on the National Elevator Industry Inc. (NEII) and National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) safety committees for more than 20 years with dedicated safety professionals from all over the country. Thirty-two years ago, Otis’ fatality prevention process audits were developed. They evolved into today’s 9 Safety Absolutes that hopefully will be recognized throughout the VT industry. Downs would love to see the entire industry adopting one, single set of safety policies and safe work practices. He says: 

“I’ve always felt that there is no need for every elevator company to have its own safety program or manual. The Field Employees’ Safety Handbook, when reprinted in 2025, will include all nine absolutes that are recognized for contributing to 75%-80% of all elevator injuries. When they are adopted as a single industry safety policy, that will be my biggest accomplishment.”

Mentors Along the Way

Downs has no doubt served as a mentor to countless VT professionals, but he has also had some mentors of his own. Firstly, he says, was his mailman father, who he describes as a hard worker who always provided for his family of five. The elder Downs instilled in Downs, his brother and sister to always make sure they put in an honest day’s work and they would never be without a job. “I followed that rule all my life and told our daughter, Kelsye, and others to do the same,” Downs says. 

An employee who consistently does three things — comes to work on time, works safely and works efficiently — will always be an asset to his or her employer, Downs asserts. 

In the elevator world, Downs has had many mentors, including Otis Northeast Region VP Jim Seigel and Otis NA Operations Director, EHS Pat Dowson. Downs watched Seigel oversee and manage many talented regional directors and managers, showing him “firsthand how to run an elevator business.” A boss does not need to know everything, Downs observes, but rather, “trust those working underneath them to do their jobs effectively and safely.” That, he says, “is the key to success, and [Seigel and Dowson] did that very well.” 

Both men were great listeners and teachers, Downs says. “They were both very fair and supported me when I needed their help, and we all need help now and then.” 

Family and the Future

Downs describes his wife, Gail, as “the rock of the family.” The Downs’ daughter, Kelsye Rae, is married to Carlo Fortunato, and they live in NYC with their dog, Maverick. Gail Downs still works in the apparel industry. “I am very proud of all of them,” Downs says. 

Downs plans to stay involved in the elevator industry post-retirement, including doing some writing and assisting his colleagues at TEI when needed. He will remain on the NEII and NAEC safety committees. 

What was most challenging about his career was learning the elevator trade from scratch. It was a learning curve to be able to communicate clearly when developing, teaching and writing policy and procedures, he says. 

As he looks back on his long career, Downs also looks forward to a changing industry. Technology is developing at a dizzying pace, and Downs says AI will play an important role in how the VT industry trains teams in the future. Products will be developed to make the industry safer, such as a device operated from a mobile phone or table to safely secure an elevator cartop remotely. “It may not be tomorrow, but it is most likely in our near future,” Downs says. 

As for what he is most proud of in his career, Downs says: 

“It’s the respect I received as a safety leader when I hear those I trained in the field say, ‘What would Ray Downs do here?’ before they start their task. I am thankful to have worked for Otis Elevator and for the past 12 years alongside TEI owners and friends Mark Gregorio, Michael J. Staub and John Fichera, as well as the executive team and the entire TEI family. It’s a great company with outstanding elevator professionals that I have friendships with that will last a lifetime.” 

In closing, Downs says he would like to thank all the hardworking elevator men and women in our industry, the NEII and NAEC safety committees on which he served, the International Union of Elevator Constructors Local 1 staff, the consultants and EW, as well as all the safety managers and professionals that “contribute to making our industry one of the greatest to have a career in and that allows us to provide for and go home to our families safely, day in and day out.”