Member

From his early childhood and throughout his life, Gene Davis, of Raleigh, NC, has been steadfastly committed to making the State of North Carolina better. He carries a deep love and respect for North Carolina's rich history and hopes to bring that knowledge to the work of the Board. Having seen the many ways that public higher education changes lives for the better, Davis holds an abiding belief in the transformational power of the University of North Carolina System.

For over two decades, Davis has owned and managed a real estate and transactional law firm in Raleigh. Viewing himself as both an attorney and counselor at law, Davis leads a team that serves clients by listening first and acting with excellence and compassion to help them accomplish their goals and realize their dreams.

Davis has a passion for service. He has been elected or appointed by three governors, the North Carolina House of Representatives, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors, and the Raleigh City Council to serve on various boards and commissions. He views each opportunity to serve as a commission to make better the community and the state that he loves.

As an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Davis served as president of the Association of Student Governments and speaker of the Student Congress. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction, majoring in both speech communications and political science. While at UNC School of Law, he led a successful effort to start a new law journal, served as chief justice of the Law School Honor Court, and was president of the law school's largest legal fraternity.

While earning his law degree, he was also an editor of two law journals, served on the UNC Student Supreme Court, and was Delegata of the Order of the Grail. With a longstanding interest in leading nonprofit organizations, he additionally earned a Certificate of Nonprofit Management from Duke University.

Davis and spouse, Mary Kaitland, live and raise their three children in Raleigh. When not leading and serving, he enjoys spending time with family, studying North Carolina history, working jigsaw puzzles, playing golf and pickleball with his children, and "dreaming of things that never were and asking why not."

His advice to students:

"College is a time of exploration and personal growth, an opportunity to expand intellectual horizons and encounter a myriad of ideas, cultures, and people. Dedicate yourself to civil discourse, which is, in my view, the very highest form of freedom of speech, in that people from different backgrounds with various perspectives commit themselves to listen to each other respectfully, attentively, and openly and to debate and discuss ideas with each other in a robust, constructive, and civil manner for the purpose of advancing knowledge and promoting the public good."