Photo courtesy of UVATODAY.COM

Senior vice president of finance and administration takes up new job

BY SABIHA BASIT, STAFF WRITER

Back in August of 2018, according to Mason’s Senior Vice President for Administration & Finance, Jennifer (JJ) Davis left Mason to pursue a job opportunity at UVA. During the time she was at Mason, she brought new ideas and implementations, such as designing comprehensive financial framework, and supported Mason’s strategic plan, resulting in bond rating upgrades. She also executed key initiatives with faculty, staff and students to support long-term institutional value.

Davis is the first woman to hold her position at the University of Virginia, and talked to UVAToday, UVA’s newspaper from the Office of Communications about the new set of changes and ideas she will become part of.

“I am a firm believer in the transformative power of higher education and the University of Virginia’s mission of excellence in education, research, patient care and service,” Davis said. She added, “This is an exciting time in the life of the University [of Virginia], and I am thrilled to be joining President Ryan, Liz and the UVA leadership team as we work together and serve our students, faculty, staff and the larger community.”

Davis initially worked for the state of Delaware for 16 years in multiple duties, ranging from being a budget director to deputy secretary of education, and associate secretary of education for policy and administrative services.

“J.J. brings to George Mason a wealth of experience in budget planning, development and management. Her skills and experiences are vital to the growth and prosperity of the university as we confront and explore a new financial model,” Cabrera said.

Davis created a reality of Cabrera’s statement and immersed herself in multiple organizations at Mason. Her job was to oversee a variety of fields, including financial aid, fiscal services, parking and transportation, and campus police.

Needless to say, the strong dedication and passion she brought to Mason will be missed by the community, and her colleagues.

She joined University of Delaware in 2008 and was appointed as the Vice President for Finance and Administration, where she installed a lasting mark on the UD community.

The President of University of Delaware, Patrick Harker, announced the multiple achievements Davis and her colleagues brought forth to their university.

“From the redesign of the human resources… to revamping the compensation system…All these efforts have been marked by J.J.’s enthusiasm, drive and perseverance. She has been a valuable member of our leadership team and will be missed,” Harker said.

In 2013, JJ Davis left University of Delaware to join Mason, and President Angel Cabrera was quick to highlight the benefits Davis will bring to the University.