Bill Davis, MA, CM, C.Mgr, CDM, CCTS

Bill Davis is the Program Chair for the BA Operations Management and Analysis program and oversees the Sports and Recreation Management emphasis. He brings over three decades of business and academic experience, combining practical leadership with a commitment to student success. His career spans consulting, management, leadership, sales, marketing, strategic planning, and organizational change, including 30+ years, mostly with PepsiCo in front-line, middle, and executive leadership roles.

A true pracademic, Bill transitioned into higher education after a successful career in industry. He has taught more than 300 courses, developed over 20 curricula, and served in leadership roles including Program Chair, Lead Faculty, Assistant Professor, and Instructional Specialist Manager. Bill leads with passion, purpose, empathy, and compassion, modeling a student-first approach as the hallmark of online education. He is dedicated to empowering, supporting, enriching, and guiding every student toward graduation, and he finds great fulfillment in coaching and mentoring both in and beyond the classroom to help students become their best selves.

Bill serves on the Executive Board and Board of Regents for the Institute of Certified Professional Managers (ICPM) and has been recognized nationally for excellence in teaching, leadership, and scholarship. He also served on the ADEIL Board - the Association for Distance Education and Independent Learning,  earning its Excellence in Leadership Award. In 2025, he was named a Faculty Fellow at the University of Arizona Global Campus and serves as Co-Chair of the 2025–2026 Culture of Care Summit.

He recently collaborated with IGI Global Scientific Publishing, co-editing and publishing  two books, Fostering Collaborative Learning Communities to Drive Student Success and Fostering Educational Culture for Student Success, and co-authored Harnessing Technology. The Future of Online Learning Communities, a scholarly chapter article and was selected as an Ambassador for IGI Global. He holds a CM - Certified Manager Certification from the Institute of Certified Professional Managers, a C.Mgr – Certified Manager from the Canadian Institute of Professional Managers, a CPL - Certified Positive Leader from Jon Gordon Certified Leader, a Certified Leader-Coach in the PepsiCo System and holds numerous certifications and certificates from John Maxwell Company, Dale Carnegie Training, PepsiCo and Toastmasters. Bill has published over 160 articles, presented at numerous academic conferences,  and co-authored the book Stay Engaged… It’s Essential! Chunks of Leadership Wisdom and Knowledge to Improve Your Leadership Effectiveness. In 2008, he received the Distinguished CAP Award for Excellence in Teaching, one of only three educators nationwide to earn this honor.

Professional Affiliations

• IGI Global Scientific Publishers
• JA - Junior Achievement of Quad Cities
• ICPM - Institute of Certified Professional Managers
• CIM – Canadian Institute of Professional Managers
• Jon Gordon Companies
• John Maxwell Team
• Optimist International
• ADEIL – Association of Distance Education and Independent Learning
• United Way of Quad Cities
• Alpha Sigma Lamda