April 18, 2025
SIU’s Paul Simon Institute hosts Kettering Foundation CEO to discuss future of democracy
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Sharon Davies, president and CEO of the Charles F. Kettering Foundation, will join Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute for a special virtual conversation at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 24.
Davies will discuss the nonprofit research organization’s work toward advancing democracy and civic engagement with John Shaw, institute director.
The discussion via Zoom is free and open to the public, but registration to view the conversation is required. The event is part of the institute’s “Understanding Our New World” discussion series. Visit paulsimoninstitute.org/events to register.
“Sharon Davies is one of the most creative and skilled foundation leaders in the United States. With an impressive background in law and academia and a passionate commitment to social justice, Ms. Davies has propelled the Kettering Foundation to the center of the debate about how to preserve and strengthen our democracy,” Shaw said.
Davies has led the Kettering Foundation since April 2022. Prior to that, she was provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Spelman College. Davies also held several posts at Ohio State University, including vice provost for diversity and inclusion and chief diversity officer, as a member of the faculty and associate dean of the university’s Moritz College of Law, and executive director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity.
She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and her law degree from Columbia University. She also has experience as an assistant U.S. attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York.
The Kettering Foundation was founded in 1927 by inventor and philanthropist Charles F. Kettering with a mission to “advance inclusive democracies by fostering citizen engagement, promoting government accountability, and countering authoritarianism.”
Attendees are encouraged to submit questions for Davies on the registration form or email questions to paulsimoninstitute@siu.edu.
More information, a list of the institute’s upcoming events and past speakers and events are available.