Dennis was born in Buffalo, NY in 1942. After high school, he attended the S.U.N.Y. at Buffalo where he obtained a B.A. in chemistry in 1964. He and his wife Marlene were married after graduation. He then attended Princeton University, where he received a Ph.D. in organic chemistry in 1967. After post-doctoral studies at U.C.L.A., he joined the DuPont Co. in Wilmington, DE where he was engaged in R. and D. for 32 years until he retirement in 2001. The Rayners have two married daughters who live in Flagstaff and San Diego. During his work years, he supervised a large research group for five years. His job provided him with valuable experience working with diverse groups of people including scientists, technicians, lawyers, and marketing and sales people from around the world.
Dennis is a strong believer in participatory democracy. He is a liberal on most issues but a fiscal conservative. He is also an environmentalist and believes we have to be vigilant and constant stewards of our environment. The couple has been members of the Sierra Club for many years.
They have lived in Sedona for six years and believe in participating and volunteering in the communities where they have lived. He was a volunteer in Wilmington DE at a Cancer Wellness Community and also mentored/tutored inner city boys at a middle school. He has been teaching chess at West Sedona’s elementary and middle school for the past three years and has taught a class at OLLI, Yavapai College for two semesters on the toxic chemicals that pollute our air, water, and food. He likes to play chess and paint. As a member of SAC and SVACI, he has participated in their shows and social events.
The Rayners love living in Sedona and want to preserve its natural wonders for its residents and visitors alike. In this regard, Dennis favors safety approaches on SR89A other than continuous roadway lighting in order to preserve our dark skies. He support the NSA designation for our surrounding national forest. The vision statement read at each city council meeting perfectly embodies his vision for Sedona.
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