Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Douglas Gray resides in Fayetteville and served with the US Air Force in Vietnam. His awards include the Bronze Star for meritorious combat achievement, the Air Force Commendation Medal with one oak leaf cluster, and the Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster. Stephen Douglas Gray was born in Evanston, IL and raised in Glenview, IL. After high school, Gray attended Coe College in Cedar Rapids, IA in 1970, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and was part of the school's Reserve Officers Training Corps before joining the Air Force. During Lieutenant Colonel Gray's Vietnam tour, he served as an air control squadron commander. He was the director of the Air National Guard recruiting program at the Pentagon and advisor to the commander in chief of the United States Air Force.

After retiring from the US Air Force in 1994, Lieutenant Colonel Gray initially served as a military advisor for Congressman Asa Hutchinson, who later became the governor of Arkansas. Lieutenant Colonel Gray then worked for Congressman, now Senator, John Bozeman's office, serving as a military liaison, assisting the office staff with veterans issues, and facilitating contact between veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs to help file medical benefit claims. After 17 years, Lieutenant Colonel Gray retired from Senator Bozeman's office in January 2015 but continued to assist Arkansas veterans and his local community. He has volunteered with civic and veteran service organizations such as the Kiwanis Club, Lions Club, Fayetteville Exchange Club, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, Fayetteville Autumn Fest Committee, Northwest Arkansas Veteran's Day Association, Singing Men of Arkansas, Veterans Healthcare System of the Ozarks, Military Officers Association of America, and the Fayetteville National Cemetery Advisory Council, which he helped form and is serving as its first chairman.

Lieutenant Colonel Gray's civilian awards include the Kiwanis Club Community Leadership Award, the Lions Club Dahlstrom Award, and the Fayetteville Exchange Club Community Leadership Award.