Campaign Phone
6232556354
Campaign YouTube
Public Policy Priorities
Affordable Local Education, Expanding Healthcare and Trade Specialties and Degrees, Bringing Back Junior College Football
Qualifications and Experience
As a Glendale, Arizona native, business leader, and entrepreneur rooted in District 4, I’ve spent more than 14 years helping organizations grow and compete as Founder and President of Striventa. On the MCCCD Board, I’ll bring this expertise to help grow enrollment, strengthen workforce partnerships, support student success, and ensure accountability to taxpayers.
Memberships & Affiliations
Glendale Rotary Club, Member (10 years); Past President
Endorsements
Endorsed by Arizona Senate President Warren Petersen, Maricopa County Supervisor Debbie Lesko, Turning Point Action’s Freedom Ticket, and Coach Joe Kersting, former Glendale Community College head football coach, NJCAA Hall of Famer, and one of the NJCAA’s 50 winningest coaches; also supported by JUCO football players, alumni, coaches, and community leaders.
Community Service
Past President and 10+ year member of the Glendale Rotary Club, serving Glendale and the West Valley
Education
Bachelor of Science in Political Science, Minor in History Arizona State University (West Campus) Barrett, The Honors College 2010
As Founder and President of Striventa, a business growth agency, I bring over 14 years of experience helping organizations grow, compete, and reach the people they serve. That experience has taught me how to manage budgets, measure results, build teams, and make thoughtful decisions about where to invest resources. As a Glendale native, Barrett Honors graduate of ASU West, longtime Rotarian, and Past President of the Glendale Rotary Club, I know this community and many of the employers who hire our graduates. On the Board, I would bring a business perspective focused on growing enrollment, expanding employer partnerships, strengthening career pathways, and helping MCCCD continue delivering strong value for students and taxpayers.
MCCCD’s biggest challenges include continuing enrollment growth, keeping education affordable, and making sure programs align with the jobs available in Arizona’s economy. Employers need more medical professionals and skilled tradespeople, and our colleges play a vital role in preparing students for those careers. My role on the Governing Board would be to work collaboratively on clear priorities, measurable outcomes, and strong partnerships with these employers. I would bring my business growth experience to help MCCCD reach more students and support programs that create clear pathways from education to employment. We must also bring Junior College football back to MCCCD after its elimination following the 2018 season. I believe a well-built program will attract students, create new revenue and sponsorship opportunities, strengthen community engagement, and once again provide young men with a pathway to continue their education and athletic careers.
Growing organizations and reaching people is what I do for a living, and I would bring that same mindset to MCCCD. We should strengthen how we communicate the value of our colleges, while also expanding programs in healthcare, the skilled trades, and other high-demand fields where the workforce is dwindling. I would focus on building stronger partnerships with employers, high schools, civic leaders, families, and lawmakers so that we can better connect students to these opportunities. Strong advocacy starts with showing how MCCCD creates affordable pathways to careers, supports Arizona’s workforce, and delivers value to students, employers, and taxpayers.
As Founder and President of Striventa, I’ve managed large business budgets for more than a decade. I’ve mastered setting priorities, controlling costs, and investing in what produces results. I also oversee marketing, sales initiatives, and budgets for local and national clients, where I consistently grew their businesses. My service as Past President of the Glendale Rotary Club gave me experience supporting fundraising and community-focused financial decisions. On the MCCCD Board, I would bring that same approach to responsible financial stewardship by evaluating priorities, focusing resources on programs that support student and workforce outcomes, protecting affordability, and measuring results. I would also advocate for funding through strong employer partnerships and a clear, data-driven case for the economic value of our colleges.
Campaign Phone
623-882-6446
Public Policy Priorities
Affordable education (restore Arizona’s community college funding and financial aid for students), workforce development (provide adult education and career-ready skills to prepare students to compete in the workforce), and economic development (fuel economic growth by aligning education with labor market demands)
Qualifications and Experience
As secretary of the Maricopa Community College District Governing Board and a dedicated education leader, Donna Davis is driven by a deep passion for creating opportunities for students. Her commitment is rooted in the belief that affordable, high-quality higher education transforms lives, strengthens families, and prepares tomorrow's workforce. Throughout her extensive board service, including leadership roles with the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation and the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism, Donna Davis has focused on building enduring relationships grounded in trust, transparency, and mutual respect. She collaborates with local leaders, educators, and industry partners to develop practical solutions for student and staff retention and regional economic growth. Donna Davis enthusiastically provides the active, approachable, and steady presence needed to ensure our colleges remain vibrant engines of opportunity for students, faculty, and communities.
Memberships & Affiliations
Maricopa Community College District - Secretary, Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation - Board Member, Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism - Former President and Current Commissioner, Association of Community College Trustees - Communications and Education Committee, Leadership West - Class 3, League of Women Voters Northwest Maricopa County, and Project CENTRL - Class 29
Endorsements
Donna Davis’ decades of proven leadership have resulted in enduring relationships rooted in trust and shared vision. She is widely regarded as a collaborative leader with the desire and ability to foster partnerships that benefit students, communities and the economy. Donna Davis is honored to be endorsed by the Maricopa Community College Faculty Association PAC. She is also endorsed by mayors and former mayors of Avondale, Buckeye, El Mirage, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, and Surprise, as well as current and former council members for Avondale, Goodyear, Glendale, Litchfield Park, and Peoria. Donna Davis is also endorsed by prominent business, nonprofit, education, and community leaders, including current and former school board members, and former superintendents from Agua Fria, Avondale, Litchfield, Paradise Valley, Peoria, and Washington school districts. Visit davisformaricopa.com/endorsements for a complete list of Donna Davis’ enthusiastic endorsers.
Community Service
Donna Davis has committed her adult life to service, operating on the conviction that uplifting others is the highest calling of a dedicated citizen. Through her multifaceted leadership, ranging from her governance within the Maricopa Community College District and her presidency of the Governor’s Commission on Service and Volunteerism to her grassroots engagement with local civic and nonprofit organizations, Donna Davis embraces community service as an honor and a privilege. On the national level, Donna Davis elevates MCCCD’s visibility by serving on the Association of Community College Trustees - Communications and Education Committee. She firmly believes that active civic participation fosters trust and creates partnerships that empower students, support and retain teachers, and sustain a thriving society. In her spare time, Donna Davis sings with Sounds of the Southwest Singers and serves as the financial secretary for Peoria Presbyterian Church.
Education
SUNY Brockport, Bachelor of Arts, Health Education
During her tenure on the MCCCD board, Donna Davis' key accomplishments include hiring a new Chancellor, launching 11 bachelor's degree programs, and securing voter approval to increase the district's expenditure limit. Under her oversight of a $1.8 billion budget, the district received a historic $16 million foundation gift to fund student retention.
Additionally, Donna Davis is an active member of the Association of Community College Trustees, having attended three national conferences with specialized trustee training, as well as chairing the Governor’s Commission of Service and Volunteerism for seven years.
Donna Davis has a unique ability to understand the highest-level education issues and break them down in ways that can be easily understood by the general public. As the senior outreach manager with Education Forward Arizona, Donna Davis tracks education-related legislation and shares her K-12 and higher ed expertise with constituents across Arizona.
Maricopa Community College District is one of the nation’s largest community college systems. Like all community colleges, MCCCD faces critical challenges in ensuring affordable education, improving student retention, and aligning academic programs with evolving regional workforce needs. To make matters worse, the Arizona Legislature has systematically eliminated all foundational state operating aid for MCCCD, leaving the district with $0 in state operating funding for 12 consecutive fiscal years. As a trustee, Donna Davis’ role is to cultivate strategic partnerships that expand opportunities for students, support career pathways, and foster economic development. She focuses on fiscal stewardship, developing practical solutions for student success, attracting and retaining quality faculty and staff, and ensuring Maricopa’s community colleges equip students with the skills needed for high-demand jobs in local communities.
Effective board leadership requires presence and focus. Donna Davis is fully dedicated to supporting students and faculty, offering the steady presence needed for rigorous, transparent governance.
Educating communities and advocating for Maricopa Community Colleges requires active engagement and highlighting MCCCD’s life-changing value for more than 140,000 students annually. As an MCCCD trustee and lifelong educator, Donna Davis engages with community groups, business leaders, and local organizations to share the monumental impact of MCCCD’s 10 colleges and 31 satellite locations.
Advocating for MCCCD means championing affordable pathways, from high school dual enrollment to expanding 4-year bachelor's degree programs. MCCCD aligns curriculum with workforce needs, contributing nearly $9 billion to the local economy and supporting over 108,000 jobs.
Donna Davis brings extensive financial management and budget oversight experience to the board. As secretary of the Maricopa Community College District Governing Board, she oversees its $1.8 billion operating and capital budget, ensuring public funds and taxpayer resources are managed with strict fiscal accountability. Complementing her executive board oversight, she served eight years as a church treasurer, gaining hands-on expertise in managing lean budgets, making difficult financial choices, and maintaining fiscal discipline. Throughout her career, Donna Davis has remained deeply committed to transparent financial governance, rigorous fiscal stewardship, and robust advocacy for education funding. She continually fights for strategic resource allocation, sustainable policy solutions, and investments that directly support student success and regional workforce development.
Campaign Phone
4803180397
Public Policy Priorities
Protecting Taxpayers, Safe Schools and Campuses, Jobs Not Debt, Accountable to You, Rooted in the Community, Bring back JUCO Football
Qualifications and Experience
Vice Mayor of City of Surprise, Surprise City Councilman, School Principal, Dean of Students, Civics Teacher, Master's of Education, 22 year Surprise resident, Attended & Played Football at Mesa Community College
Endorsements
Maricopa College Police Officers Association, Professional Firefighters of Arizona, Maricopa County School Superintendent Shelli Boggs, Senate President Warren Petersen, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell , Maricopa County Supervisor Mark Stewart , Arizona Corporation Commissioner Kevin Thompson, Peoria Mayor Jason Beck, Goodyear Mayor Joe Pizzillo, Surprise Mayor Skip Hall, Peoria Vice Mayor Jon Edwards, Goodyear Vice Mayor Brannon Hampton, Surprise Councilman Patrick Duffy
Education
Master's of Education - Educational Leadership (NAU), Bachelor's of Education - Secondary Education (ASU)
I bring a rare combination of classroom and elected experience. I spent over a decade in the Dysart Unified School District as a civics teacher, Dean of Students, and now Assistant Principal, giving me firsthand knowledge of how students move from high school into college and career pathways. I began my own higher education at Mesa Community College before earning my bachelor's from Arizona State University and a master's in Educational Leadership, so I understand the community college experience personally. As a three-term Surprise City Councilman and Vice Mayor, I've helped pass balanced municipal budgets, cut property taxes twice, and still grow investment in public safety and schools. I founded and chair Surprise's Education & Workforce Subcommittee, awarding scholarships and grants to students pursuing community college, trade school, and job training. That mix of educator, administrator, and elected budget experience is what this board needs.
Community colleges face three big challenges: keeping tuition affordable for working families, aligning programs with real workforce demand in fields like trades, healthcare, and public safety, and rebuilding enrollment after pandemic-era declines. As founder and chair of Surprise's Education & Workforce Subcommittee, I already work on this locally, awarding scholarships and grants to students pursuing community college and trade/technical training, and building relationships with employers who need trained workers. On the board, I'll push to expand those employer partnerships countywide, protect affordability by keeping budgets disciplined the way I have as Vice Mayor, and make sure programs are designed around the jobs actually available in Maricopa County so students graduate with a clear path to work.
As a sitting elected official who regularly speaks at council meetings, town halls, and community events, I know how to communicate directly with residents and make the case for public institutions. I'd use that same approach for the community college system: showing up in the district, meeting with parents, students, and local employers, and clearly explaining how the colleges spend taxpayer dollars and what students gain from them. I already do this through my Education & Workforce Subcommittee, connecting local families with scholarship and training opportunities. I make a habit of explaining my votes to constituents rather than governing behind closed doors, and I'll bring that same accountability and communication to advocating for the college system at the county and state level.
As Surprise Vice Mayor, I've helped craft and vote on balanced municipal budgets for years, including cutting property taxes twice while still growing investment in public safety, hiring more than 100 police officers and firefighters, and expanding services. That required weighing competing priorities and advocating for funding without overburdening taxpayers, the same balance a community college board must strike. As a school administrator, I also manage budgets at the campus level. Through my Education & Workforce Subcommittee, I've directed scholarship and grant funding to students, working directly with local partners to secure resources. I'll bring that same fiscal discipline and smart investment to keep tuition low and advocate effectively for community college funding.
