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Bob Davies, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor
Mt. Pleasant MI USA
Get in TouchAs a Senior Advisor in WittKieffer’s Leadership Advisory solution, Bob Davies, Ph.D. draws upon more than three decades of experience in higher education, nearly half as a sitting president, in helping administrators and trustees to address their most pressing challenges and lead impactfully. Bob has served seven different universities with varying missions and characteristics, three as president. These vast experiences equip him to assist WittKieffer clients with presidential transition and mentoring, team alignment, and governance matters. He has incisive knowledge into today’s higher education landscape and engages with academic leaders in a personal, relatable way.
Bob has served as the 15th president of Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan since 2018. He will conclude his tenure at the end of 2024 and become CMU’s first “University Professor” with the rank of full professor and tenure, teaching graduate courses in the College of Business and the College of Education with topics including leadership, strategic planning, and current issues. Prior to his appointment at CMU, he served as President of Murray State University in Kentucky as well as Eastern Oregon University. At all three universities, he led extensive strategic planning efforts focused on the outcomes of student achievement, addressing the changing needs of students and stakeholders, alumni success, and supporting community development.
Bob’s pathway to the presidency was through leadership roles in university/external relations including alumni relations, marketing, development, government relations, and overall advancement. As a student of higher education, he attended the prestigious Harvard Institute for Educational Management as well as leadership seminars for both new and experienced presidents.
Bob’s doctoral dissertation is directly relevant to his work with WittKieffer and included an analysis of how new university presidents established themselves through their first two years of service. His study included both public and private universities as well as presidents with varying pathways to the position.
Bob is an active member of the community serving on multiple boards and commissions, including the Children’s Foundation, Middle Michigan Development Corporation, The Parade Company, and other local civic groups. Bob is also an avid golfer and sports enthusiast. He is married to Cindy Davies and his proudest moment was conferring and handing their daughter her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Central Michigan University.
Distinctions
Distinguished Alumnus, University at Buffalo (SUNY)
Chairperson, NCAA Division 1 Committee on Academics
Governor-appointed Committee Member, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Kentucky, and Michigan
Recognized by Governor Steve Beshear as a “Kentucky Colonel”
Education
Ph.D., Higher Education Administration, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York
M.B.A., Finance and Marketing, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
B.S., Management, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada