Jim Davis

As Senior Director, Jim’s role is to generate outside support for CALES in the form of major gifts, enhance alumni affairs, support corporate relations, and provide constituent groups advocacy information on areas where the college needs support.  A large part of Jim’s time involves traveling with Dean Burgess and unit heads to meet with donors and friends, updating them on all the exciting things happening in CALES.  Jim enjoys helping alumni reconnect with the college to see the impact they can make with students and faculty. One thing he would like all supporters to know is gifts of any size to the college are very important.

Jim was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Western Springs, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago.  He is married with two daughters, one stepdaughter and one granddaughter.  He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Jim has worked at the University of Arizona for the last 13 years.  

Prior to coming to the UA, Jim worked in the private sector in marketing for 27 years.  He was the Senior Vice President of Marketing, Merchandising, and Distribution for Quality Stores, a privately held farm store chain of 150+ stores based from Michigan to New York until 1999.  He also was one of the owners of the chain and held a seat on the board of directors.  Jim sold his interest in the firm preceding a merger of equals with another retail company.