Steven Davis and Lynnda Davis
Steven and Lynnda Davis were both the first generation in their families to complete a college education.
Lynnda M. Davis is an alumna of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and earned an MBA at Northwestern University. Lynnda Davis finds meaning in active volunteer leadership in her community. She currently serves on four nonprofit boards: Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA), The Links, Inc., the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts in New Albany, OH, and LifeCare Alliance. She and Steve are particularly passionate about the mission of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), where they became active in 2011, shortly after their youngest daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. They have participated in almost every local role for JDRF, especially raising money to fund research. In 2017 the couple was awarded JDRF’s Central Ohio “Buckeye Promise Award” for their family’s philanthropic and volunteer efforts in the local community.
Steven Davis earned his BBA in Marketing in 1980 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and his MBA from the University of Chicago in Marketing and Finance. In 2021 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He also serves on UWM’s Lubar School of Business Advisory Council. He currently serves as the Nominating and Corporate Governance Chair for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International Board of Directors.
Steve is the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bob Evans Farms Inc, a publicly traded restaurant and packaged goods company. He currently serves as a director on several corporate boards: Marathon Petroleum (MPC), The Albertsons Companies (ACI), PPG Industries (PPG), and American Eagle Outfitters (AEO). He previously served on the boards of Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA), CenturyLink (CTL), Sonic Restaurants (SONC), and The Legacy Acquisition Corporation (LGCY).
As CEO of SDL Strategic Consultants, Steve provides strategy and private equity consulting to Cerberus Capital, Apollo, and other private equity companies. Additionally, Steve serves as a board advisor to private and publicly traded companies. He also provides board governance advisory and consultation serving as a panelist for ISS, Deloitte, The Outstanding Directors Exchange, The Executive Leadership Council, and The African American Directors Forum. His work and contributions have been featured in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, and most recently in the WSJ Podcast, “The New Corporate Diversity Strategy: Tie it to Executive Pay.”
Steve has provided board and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion advisory to Fortune 500 companies. He is a proud alumnus of INROADS, INC., was named one of the Top Alumni at the INROADS 50th Anniversary, and was awarded their first-ever Alumni Leadership Award. He is a former member of the CEO Business Council and is currently a Member of the Council of Chief Executive Officers.
Impact
The Donors establish this scholarship in honor of Steven’s parents, Henry and Dolores Davis, and of Lynnda’s parents, Col. Alfred Moore and Rita Moore, who sacrificed to ensure that their children were able to attend college. Steven and his four siblings achieved their education at UWM.