Growing as a Leader and Advocate for Others

As the company approaches its 35th anniversary later this month, we have so much to celebrate. Integra is a rich tapestry of many different colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences who are united by our purpose of positively impacting patients’ lives. Since joining the Quality team almost three years ago, Casey Rayburg, design assurance engineer for our Codman Specialty Surgical (CSS) division has made the most of his tenure by immersing himself in our culture to grow in his career, learn more about our innovative portfolio and build a community for all LGBTQIA+ colleagues.

Building things has always come naturally to Casey. With an undergraduate degree in bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a post-graduate degree in systems engineering from Purdue University, he began his career supporting cardiac research and quality engineering. In 2021 he joined the Integra Quality organization with responsibility for our next generation of CSS products. What he finds most compelling and rewarding about our business that others may not get to see, is the behind the scenes work that he and his team do focused on accessories, equipment, and tools, all of which play an important role in innovating new treatment pathways to advance patient outcomes and set new standards of care.  

In addition to his engineering role, in 2022, he welcomed the opportunity to spearhead Integra’s PRIDE employee resource group (ERG). He has made it his personal mission to ensure that all LGBTQIA+ colleagues feel welcome and encouraged to show up how they feel most comfortable. With the support of Eric Schwartz, the ERG executive sponsor, Marysa Chiu, chief diversity and inclusion officer, the executive leadership team (ELT), and many other amazing Integra colleagues, he has focused on getting the word out there, providing resources, and engaging with countless allies.  

Through his various meetings and interactions, Casey has found that being the leader of the PRIDE group is unique, in that in many ways, their community is global and diverse in its own right. So, part of his role is bringing the team together to see how they can ensure those needs can be uniquely addressed in the communities and geographies where colleagues live and work.  

With June being Pride Month, Casey feels that this month has become more important than ever. As he shared, “there is still much work to be done to ensure queer people feel welcome, safe, and have their rights protected. I personally feel that my community has helped me feel comfortable in living as my true self in whichever space I choose to be. During Pride Month I often reflect on how seeing so many different expressions of identities across the LGBTQIA+ community is a privilege I have had in my journey that others may not have access to. If I can play even a small role in building that community wherever I am present, I will have felt that is something worth striving for.” 

Outside of work, Casey’s biggest passions are food and music. He enjoys trying new recipes and listening to live music and has found that both of these hobbies also bring together so many communities. This inspires him to travel more and continue to learn about other diverse cultures around the world.  

As he looks to the future, he’s excited about the recent Acclarent integration, new products coming through the pipeline and working with his Integra colleagues to continue our company’s great legacy and build even greater things together!