{{short description|American politician and entrepreneur (born 1956)}} {{About|the American politician|the former boxer|Cathy Davis}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Kathy Davis | image = Kathy Davis Lt Governor (a).png | office = 48th Lieutenant Governor of Indiana | governor = Joe Kernan | term_start = October 20, 2003 | term_end = January 10, 2005 | predecessor = Joe Kernan | successor = Becky Skillman | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1956|6|24}} | birth_place = Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | alma_mater = Massachusetts Institute of Technology (SB)<br>Harvard University (MBA) }} '''Katherine L. Davis''' (born June 24, 1956) is an American politician and entrepreneur. She was the 48th lieutenant governor of Indiana, and the first woman to serve in that office.
==Early life and education== Davis was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1978.<ref name="NBC13WTHR">{{cite news | title =Indiana Lt Governor Kathy Davis | newspaper =NBC Channel 13 WTHR | url =http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?s=1664747 | access-date =28 May 2013 | archive-date =5 February 2012 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120205203047/http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?s=1664747 | url-status =dead }}</ref> Her professional career started out with Cambridge Collaborative, a research and development consulting firm owned by her father, Richard H. Lyon. She was an acoustics consultant where she analyzed vibrations in submarines.<ref name="InsideIB">{{cite news | last =Dick | first =Gerry | title =Governor Names Katherine Davis As Lt Governor Nominee | newspaper =Inside Indiana Business | date =9 October 2003 | url =http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=9674 | access-date =28 May 2013 | archive-date =2 February 2014 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140202094120/http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=9674 | url-status =dead }}</ref> She attributes her experiences at the firm as her inspiration for much of her present career. She earned her master's degree from Harvard Business School and relocated to Indiana in 1982. After moving to Indiana, she went to work for the Cummins Engine Company where she spent several years leading their manufacturing operations.
==Career==
=== Early career === Davis was appointed by former Indiana Governor Evan Bayh as the Deputy Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation. She served in the position from 1989 to 1994 where she oversaw the transportation plans of the state.<ref name="NBC13WTHR" />
Davis was appointed as state Budget Director by Governor Bayh in 1995.<ref name="InsideIB"/> She was in charge of the state's $10 billion budget before being appointed by Governor Frank O'Bannon to the position of Secretary of the Family and Social Services Administration.<ref name="InsideIB"/> While in this position, she was in charge of a $4 billion budget as well as more than 11,000 employees. During her time with the administration she oversaw the transition away from large facilities for MRDD and MI populations to more community based facilities. She left public service for a short time in 1998 but returned a short time later to run the public service agency for the Indiana's 21st Century Research and Technology Fund. She was credited with obtaining more than $21 million in contracts within five months in the position. Davis received another appointment in 2000 when former Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson made her the Controller for the City of Indianapolis where she served for four years.<ref>{{cite news | last =Schnitzler | first =Peter | title =What Now | newspaper =Indianapolis Business Journal | date =12 November 2007 | url =http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1397780941.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150924202927/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1397780941.html | url-status =dead | archive-date =24 September 2015 | access-date =28 May 2013 }}</ref> Upon O'Bannon's death in 2003, Lieutenant Governor Joe Kernan ascended to the governorship, and he appointed Davis Lieutenant Governor,<ref name="IBJDoesGenderMatter">{{cite news | last =Young | first =Julie | title =Does Gender Matter In Politics | newspaper =Indianapolis Business Journal | date =11 December 2006 | url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1179167651.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924202610/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1179167651.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 24 September 2015 | access-date =28 May 2013 }}</ref><ref name="PostTribunePorkDebate">{{cite news | last =Smith | first =Mike | title =Pork Takes Center Stage As Running Mates Debate | newspaper =The Post-Tribune | date =17 August 2004 | url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-104B36B8EE0F6ACE.html| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150924171607/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1N1-104B36B8EE0F6ACE.html| url-status = dead| archive-date = 24 September 2015| access-date =28 May 2013 }}</ref> the first woman to hold the post.<ref>{{cite web | title =Michelle Obama Speech Before Women's Economic Roundtable (Transcript) | publisher =Washington Transcript Service | date =10 September 2008 | url =http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-156164678.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150924173200/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-156164678.html | url-status =dead | archive-date =24 September 2015 | access-date =28 May 2013}}</ref> During her time in office, she served as President of the Indiana State Senate, Commissioner of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce and chaired the Indiana Counter Terrorism and Security Council.<ref name="PostTribunePorkDebate"/>
===Return to private sector=== Davis left the public sector again in 2005 at the end of the Kernan-Davis term. She took a position as the Chief Executive Officer of Global Access Point, a computer network connectivity company headquartered in South Bend, Indiana.<ref name="IBJLcommute">{{cite news | last =Schnitzler | first =Peter | title =Long Commute For Former Lt. Gov. | newspaper =Indianapolis Business Journal | date =6 June 2005 | url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-851247711.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160416010512/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-851247711.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 16 April 2016 | access-date =28 May 2013 }}</ref> She led the start-up of the company where she was in charge of developing markets in data transport, data processing, and data storage for business, health care organizations, and universities.<ref name="IBJExPolitician">{{cite news | last =Schnitzler | first =Peter | title =Ex-Politician Pitching Virtual Tool | newspaper =Indianapolis Business Journal | date =6 December 2006 | url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1159755391.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130454/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1159755391.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 4 March 2016 | access-date =28 May 2013 }}</ref>
In 2006, Davis developed the idea for a virtual way to allow policy makers to develop complex policies.<ref name="IBJDoesGenderMatter"/> The program was initially developed by Simulex<ref name="IBJExPolitician"/> and then used by the United States Military. Fortune 500 companies also used the technology to select stereotypes for building outcomes. Davis founded Davis Design Group in 2007 as a way to determine results of long-term decisions made by lawmakers. The company uses a system called the Simulated Educational Experience (SEE) to predict the future of the educational system. The system is said to predict how decisions made in the public sector regarding education will affect students in the future.<ref name="IBJExPolitician"/> ===Return to government=== Davis took a position as campaign treasurer for Indiana Senator Joe Donnelly, but resigned in August 2015 because of Donnelly's vote to defund Planned Parenthood.<ref name="Star20150805">{{cite news|last1=Schneider|first1=Chelsea|last2=Cook|first2=Tony|title=Donnelly's campaign treasurer, Kathy Davis, resigns over Planned Parenthood vote|url=http://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2015/08/05/donnellys-campaign-treasurer-kathy-davis-resigns-planned-parenthood-vote/31166559/|access-date=10 January 2017|publisher=Indianapolis Star|date=Aug 5, 2015}}</ref> She later took a job in an undefined role in Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett's administration, initially described as "city systems engineer".<ref name="WFYI20151217">{{cite news|last1=Delaney|first1=Ryan|title=Former LG Kathy Davis Joining Hogsett's Administration|url=http://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/former-lg-kathy-davis-joining-hogsetts-administration|access-date=Jan 10, 2017|publisher=WFYI (TV)|date=Dec 17, 2015}}</ref>
=== Elections === {{Election box begin | title = Indiana Lt. Gubernatorial Election, 2004}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link | party = Republican Party (United States) | candidate = Becky Skillman | votes = 1,302,912 | percentage = 53.21% | change = +11.54% }} {{Election box candidate with party link|party=Democratic Party (United States)|candidate=Kathy Davis|votes=1,113,900|percentage=45.49%|change=-11.06%}} {{Election box majority|votes=189,012|percentage=7.72%|change=}} {{Election box turnout|votes=2,448,498|percentage=100.00%|change=}} {{Election box hold with party link | winner = Republican Party (United States) | loser = Democratic Party | swing = }} {{Election box end}}
==See also== *List of female lieutenant governors in the United States
==References== {{Reflist}} *{{C-SPAN|35863}}
{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{s-bef|before=Joe Kernan}} {{s-ttl|title=Democratic nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Indiana|years=2004}} {{s-aft|after=Dennie Oxley}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Joe Kernan}} {{s-ttl|title=Lieutenant Governor of Indiana|years=2003–2005}} {{s-aft|after=Becky Skillman}} {{s-end}}
{{IndianaLtGovernors}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Kathy}} Category:1956 births Category:Harvard Business School alumni Category:Indiana Democrats Category:Lieutenant governors of Indiana Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Boston Category:State cabinet secretaries of Indiana Category:Western Governors University people Category:Women in Indiana politics Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:20th-century American women politicians Category:21st-century Indiana politicians Category:20th-century Indiana politicians