Charles Davis sat in the classrooms of the University of North Georgia — then North Georgia College — as a cadet pursuing a degree in criminal justice.
"I was quite possibly the worst cadet in the history of North Georgia College. I had no interest in joining the military. I went purely for the discipline," Davis said. "At 17, I absolutely did not know how formative that experience would be in the rest of my life, that's for sure. And I still take lessons from it."
That influential time helped mold Davis, ’86, into the leader he is today as the dean of Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia (UGA).
He planned to go to law school, but an internship at the Athens Banner-Herald changed his mind.
"I liked journalism a lot more, so I never looked back," Davis said.
Davis earned a Master of Arts in journalism from UGA and a Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of Florida.
The Athens native has a colorful vision of leadership.
"I define leadership sort of through the prism of the person in an organization who is responsible for creating the culture in which that institution operates," he said. “I'm such a huge believer that healthy workplaces, healthy institutions have healthy cultures. And so, when I think of myself, I think of myself as the chief culture officer for Grady College."
Throughout his career in higher education, Davis has held several leadership roles, which include department chair of what was then called the News Editorial Department at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, which included 57 faculty and a daily morning newspaper attached to that department.
He credits Missouri as his first experience in academic leadership. While there he also ran the National Freedom of Information Coalition, a nonprofit organization, and worked for the provost on interdisciplinary research and development projects.
In 2013, he started at UGA and became a dean. He said leadership is where grand visions meet obstacles.
"Reality is two steps forward, one step back, and you're constantly having to work on stuff and react to the events of the day while continuing to try to propel the place forward," Davis said.
In all his roles through the years, Davis believes the joy and satisfaction of problem-solving leadership provides is underrated.
"A lot of people look at academic leadership as endless work and tedium, and it's not," Davis said. "When you fix something, especially something that benefits students, that's a great feeling."
Education is a calling for Davis who still gets excited about his job and makes time to teach classes.
"If you can get excited about coming to work, then it's not work. Don't get me wrong. There are moments that are real work, but so much of the work brings me so much joy and stimulation. I still don't really feel like I work," Davis said. "I will always be in the classroom."
