Fayetteville, Arkansas.
December 12, 2024
UA FOUNDATION PRESIDENT/CEO CLAY DAVIS TO RETIRE
The University of Arkansas Foundation, Inc. announced today that President/CEO Clay Davis intends to step down effective March 31, 2025, but will stay on in an advisory capacity through the end of 2025. Davis has served as the foundation’s chief executive officer since January 1, 2007, overseeing the investment and management of an endowment that has grown during his tenure from roughly $900 million to over $2.6 billion and that is comprised of endowed gifts benefiting multiple campuses of the UA system, including UA Monticello, UA Pine Bluff, UAMS, UALR, and UA Fayetteville.
Scott Saffold, the foundation’s board chair, said “Clay has been a strong leader for the foundation helping build an investment program for the endowment that has consistently outperformed both benchmarks and expectations. During his tenure he also worked to bolster the foundation’s accounting/administration arm that serves to account for, manage and protect private funding given by the many exceptional donors to our campus partners. The entire UA system owes Clay a debt of gratitude for his work here.”
Davis said, “It has been a real honor to lead the foundation for the past 18 years, and I will be leaving behind a very strong team of experienced professionals that really deserve the credit for everything good that has happened under my watch.”
The foundation’s board named senior leader, Robert Koster, to replace Davis effective April 1, 2025.