Joseph “Gray” Davis was the 37th governor of California, elected in 1998 and reelected to a second term in 2002. He currently serves as counsel at Loeb & Loeb LLP in Los Angeles.
As governor, Davis made education a top priority, signing legislation to strengthen California’s K-12 system, increasing school accountability and expanding higher education access. While presiding over California during an economic expansion, he made record investments in infrastructure and created four Centers of Science & Innovation on UC campuses, including CITRIS and the Banatao Institute. He expanded health insurance for 1 million children and signed the nation’s first law to reduce greenhouse gases. He also was the first governor in the nation to authorize stem cell research. In late 2023, in recognition of his commitment to education and innovation, Davis received the UC Presidential Medal – the University of California’s highest honor — from UC President Michael V. Drake, M.D.
Gov. Davis, along with Gov. Schwarzenegger, serves on the Southern California Leadership Council. He is the 2025 co-chair. He holds a B.A. from Stanford and a Juris Doctorate from Columbia Law. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service as an Army captain in the Vietnam War.