Growing up surrounded by his family and immersed in culture provided a firm foundation for Jeffrey Davis. “My driving factor is words of wisdom from my grandparents William ‘Buster’ Davis and Martha Davis,” says Davis, Tlingit. “They told me early on that I should always do any job to the best of my ability because my success and hard work are a reflection of me, my family, my community, and my culture.”
Davis, a Middleware Services Unit manager at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., is a member of the Hoonah Indian Association, a federally recognized tribe located in southeastern Alaska about 30 miles from Juneau. He left his small community to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science. “While I was at the university, I was introduced to AISES,” says Davis, who became an active member of the university’s College Chapter. “My AISES membership led to an opportunity with IBM for a 14-month internship after my junior year.” He also helped his chapter win Chapter of the Year awards and host a Regional Conference.
Ultimately I want to be in a position to make a deeper impact as a role model to Native students back in my hometown.
Davis obtained his degree in 1999 and moved to Rochester after accepting a job there with IBM as an information technology specialist. During his time at IBM, Davis engaged with other AISES professional members. In addition, he participated in IBM’s Native American diversity program and attended the National Conferences. He’s also found time to work with the Native American Center of Southeast Minnesota to give back to his adopted
community.
Davis left IBM in 2005 for a new position as an IT system engineer with Mayo Clinic’s Middleware Services Unit, within its Data Center Infrastructure Services division. “Shortly after being hired, I was promoted to IT senior systems engineer, taking on leadership roles and gaining leadership experience,” he says. After some moving around and promotions, including becoming Middleware web team lead, Davis currently serves as unit manager. Here, he oversees a staff of 15 in four states who manage the web-based software that bridges operating systems, databases, and applications.
“Mayo Clinic has been a great place to work and has provided numerous opportunities for growth within my career,” Davis says. “They embrace diversity and value their workforce. This job has provided me with opportunities to work with a diverse customer base and given me a front-row seat on how IT is impacting health care.” Davis particularly likes working with people. “I’ve also enjoyed the problem solving aspect of information technology,” he adds. “My previous experience put more of a focus on solving problems from a technical perspective, with opportunities for administrative leadership. With my new role, I’ve been given the opportunity to expand leadership roles and expand my troubleshooting skills more on the administrative side, allowing me to better contribute toward the road map and vision of IT at Mayo Clinic.”
Davis says that his role also allows him to provide mentorship to his staff and peers. “I love being in a position to assist others in their career paths and help them find the right opportunities to achieve their goals,” he explains.
The kid from Hoonah still has bigger fish to catch. “My career goal is to continue to look for opportunities that build my leadership and communication skills,” he says. “Ultimately I want to be in a position to make a deeper impact as a role model to Native students back in my hometown. I would love to make a direct impact within my home community, but if I can’t do that then, indirectly, I would like to be seen as a role model and for current students to be aware of my story.”
Davis continues to be an active participant in both national and regional AISES events and programs, his AISES Professional Chapter, Celebrate Dakota!, the Mayo Clinic Native American Employee Resource Group, and the Native American Parent Committee in the Rochester schools.
Just as Davis was nurtured and sustained by family growing up, he and his wife, Judy, are raising their two sons, a high school freshman and a seventh grader, in the same supportive environment. Says Davis, “We try to get back to Hoonah to visit with friends and family every other year. I strongly feel that lessons I learned from my culture and traditions have contributed to my success.”
