Make-A-Wish® America Announces New CEO, Richard K. Davis
Former U.S. Bancorp Executive Chairman will take over as CEO effective January 2, 2019
PHOENIX – OCTOBER 17, 2018 – Make-A-Wish® America today announced that the Board of Directors has selected Richard K. Davis as Chief Executive Officer, effective January 2, 2019.
Davis is an accomplished leader with more than 40 years of diverse experience. He most recently served as executive chairman of U.S. Bancorp, where he had previously been the president and CEO. Davis also sits on the boards of the National American Red Cross, Mayo Clinic, as well as many other well-known companies and nonprofit organizations.
“Richard is very much dedicated to the Make-A-Wish mission of creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses and we are excited to see him leading the organization forward,” said David Clark, chairman of the Make-A-Wish Board of Directors. “He brings decades of experience leading large teams and organizations and we feel he is exactly the right person to lead us into the next chapter.”
Davis has also served on many not-for-profit boards for more than 30 years, including Goodwill, United Way, YMCA, the University of Minnesota Foundation and the University of San Diego. Additionally, he has served in leadership positions on the boards of the Minnesota Orchestra, the Guthrie Theater and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. He was awarded the Presidential Lifetime Volunteer Service award in 2007.
“I have always been inspired by the remarkable work of Make-A-Wish and the organization’s ability to fulfill wishes for children undergoing treatment for critical illnesses. I am very grateful for this opportunity to lead Make-A-Wish and to join the remarkable staff and countless volunteers who participate in granting a wish every 34 minutes of each day,” stated Davis.
As previously announced this spring, David Williams, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America, will depart the organization after a successful 14-year career helping drive the organization’s overall strategy and vision. He will depart October 31, 2018.
About Make-A-Wish America
Make-A-Wish® America creates life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. We seek to bring every eligible child's wish to life because a wish is an integral part of a child's treatment journey. Research shows children who have wishes granted can build the physical and emotional strength they need to fight their illness. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Make-A-Wish is the leading children’s wish-granting organization, serving children in every community in the United States. Together, generous donors, supporters, staff and more than 35,000 volunteers across the U.S., grant a wish every 34 minutes, on average, somewhere in the country. Since 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted more than 300,000 wishes to children in the U.S. and its territories; more than 15,400 in 2017 alone. For more information about Make-A-Wish America, visit wish.org.