Adam Davis

Adam Davis (he/him/his) is a results-driven leader with 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and performing arts sector. Davis resourcefully strategizes and implements complex initiatives to remove obstacles, leverages strong connections, and fulfills programmatic goals that propel organizational objectives. His areas of expertise include strategic planning and community engagement, board development, operational efficiency, fundraising and capital campaigns, arts facilities and program planning, and financial forecasting.

Davis most recently served as Managing Director of Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, Massachusetts. In this role, he managed 30 full-time and 150 seasonal staff members. He oversaw the annual budget, maximized fundraising results, and managed facility capitalization, while strategizing with the board to raise a cash reserve. During his tenure, he also led a strategic planning process that resulted in the initial phase of a redevelopment plan for the 33-acre campus, and the implementation of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility training for staff and board members.

Davis has also previously served as Managing Director of the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, a community-oriented major performing arts center for the Los Angeles County Arts Commission. Davis directed programming and operations for more than 230 events annually, including producing all activities for the John Anson Ford Theatre. In order to achieve a $72.2 million theater renovation, he strategized with key stakeholders within the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to raise $65 million in capital funds for the state-of-the-art renovation. Davis has also held roles as Theater Operations Manager at Pepperdine University’s Center for the Arts, where he managed the operations of three theater facilities and the logistics for 150 events annually, and Company Manager at La Jolla Playhouse, where he supported accomplished theater artists, oversaw contract negotiations, and managed the departmental budget.

Davis was a member of the Southern California Leadership Network and IDEA Leadership Cohort Berkshire County, and a board member of California Presenters. He received an Emmy Award for producing the 54^th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration. Davis holds a bachelor of arts in theatre from Principia College.