Meet John Davis

VICE PRESIDENT OF ADVANCEMENT

Anative of a coal mining town in West Virginia, it looked like college might not be in the cards for Vice President of Advancement John Davis. A fortuitous visit to his high school by a counselor from Berea College changed all that.

While a student at Berea College, Davis worked in the Advancement office doing odd jobs when he began to get curious about how the whole department worked. Sure enough, he had soon found a passion and a calling.

After graduation, Davis worked his way up in the Advancement office at Berea before moving on to Transylvania University, and eventually becoming Vice President of Advancement at Georgetown College. Along the way, he’s always remembered why he does this. He remembers that student who wondered whether college was in his future. He’s always thinking of how, in his role, he can help current and future Tigers.

HOW DO YOU SERVE ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF THE COLLEGE?

Gifts from alumni and friends of the College help us serve our students. They do that by alleviating extra costs, helping us give more in aid, and allowing us to give students a first class oncampus experience. I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of those who love this College, and that generosity helps students who were just like me before I went to school. Gifts directly go toward helping students achieve their dreams, so I hope I can serve alumni and friends by helping this institution better serve our students.

WHY GEORGETOWN COLLEGE? WHAT MAKES THE COLLEGE SPECIAL?

It’s the people. It might be a cliché, but it’s a cliché for a reason. I have seen firsthand the connections that students make here and the connections that alumni have. Alumni truly love this institution, I think, because of the relationships that they form here and hold with them forever. That’s what makes the College so special, and it motivates me to work hard to serve the institution, as well as those alumni and friends the best I can.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR FREE TIME?

Free time? (laughs) I keep busy, but I love supporting our children, watching them play sports. I try my best not to get too loud or be that parent, but it’s so much fun to watch them be part of a team and do something they love doing. I love supporting them in that.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU EACH DAY?

My family certainly motivates me each day. I always want to do right by them. If I’m ever having a tough day or just feeling bogged down in the work, all it takes to pick me right back up is looking outside and seeing our students going about their day. They’re the reason we do this, and we sometimes need to be reminded of that.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2022?

I’m hopeful to get back to something close to normal. It feels like we’ve been talking about that return for so long now. Our campus community has done so amazingly well to help stay safe and healthy, and I look forward to seeing the reward of that hard work.