Josh Davis serves as vice president of external affairs for StriveTogether, where he provides leadership and strategy for the organization’s communications and marketing, development and fundraising, and policy, advocacy and mobilization work.
Prior to StriveTogether, Josh was vice president of external affairs for the Delta Health Alliance (DHA), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting health and education initiatives across the 18-county Mississippi Delta region. His responsibilities included project implementation oversight, resource development, government relations, and external communications and partnerships. While pursuing governmental support sources, he assisted with grant and budget composition, briefed U.S. Congressional leaders and staff on efforts supported with public funds, and shared data and practices that helped to inform policy. Josh joined DHA in 2010 with professional fundraising experience from higher education.
He also served as project director for the Indianola Promise Community and the Deer Creek Promise Community, federally-funded Promise Neighborhoods with DHA as the backbone. These initiatives unite government, nonprofits, health care, education, community and faith-based services to create a pipeline of resources for children from prenatal care through high school graduation. Josh used a results-based accountability framework with staff, partners and local stakeholders focusing on reaching population-level goals for academic success and community well-being.
Trained in results-based facilitation, Josh uses this skill and practice for moving groups from talk to action as they align efforts and reach consensus on shared goals, strategies and accountability. Previously, he held a number of roles at the University of Mississippi, including assistant director for the alumni association. Josh completed his bachelor degree in business administration at the University of Mississippi and earned his master of public administration from the University of Memphis. He is a 2017 Presidio Institute Fellow and was named one of Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 50 Under 40 Professionals in 2016.