Davis Broadcasting CEO receives legacy award at black history breakfast

When Greg A. Davis Sr. moved with his wife to Columbus in 1986, the only person he knew was a local physician.

Now, 31 years later, the Fort Smith, Ark., native is a beloved businessman in the community.

On Monday, Davis - CEO of Davis Broadcasting Inc. - received a Legacy Award at the 32nd Annual Black History Month Observance Breakfast held at the Columbus Convention and Trade Center. He was surrounded by family, friends, and a community grateful for his service.

Congressman Sanford Bishop, who leads the Black History Month Observance Committee, described Davis and his wife as friends whom he admires greatly.

“I’ve known Greg and Cheryl Davis for over 30 years since they first came to Columbus,” the congressman said in a video tribute to Davis. “I’ve watched their children grow up and become integral parts of the family business. Together, they have grown Davis Broadcasting with integrity and have faced challenges and adversity with faith and determination.”

The Legacy Award was one of three awards presented at the breakfast. Bennie Newroth, a retired Columbus Regional Health executive, received the Unsung Hero Award. Shae Anderson, director of the Liberty Theatre and Cultural Center, and Norman Hardman, a branch manager at Columbus Bank & Trust, both received the Emerging Leader Award.

Recipients of the Unsung Hero and Emerging Leader awards were revealed before the breakfast. Davis’ award remained a secret until it was announced at the event.

Featured in Davis’ tribute video were his wife and three children who described him as a frugal, hard-working man who doesn’t like a lot of attention.

“I feel there’s no one else as humble as you are and who is more deserving than you are at this time in your life,” said his wife, Cheryl. “And I love you.”

His son, Greg Jr., said: “Daddy, I love you for being the best representation of a man to me, to my sisters, and to my mother.”

His daughters - Geniece and Michele - also gave loving tributes. And the Rev. Johhny Flakes, III, of Fourth Street Missionary Baptist Church, described him as a generous man.

When Davis stood up to accept the award, he turned away from the audience to wipe his eyes.

“As I stand here, I apologize, I was totally surprised,” he said. And then he quipped: “My children normally don’t keep things from me. Greg I’m disappointed in you.”

He reflected on the day in June of 1986 when he and his wife drove from Cincinnati to Columbus.

“We came here sight unseen; didn’t know but one person in this city, that was Dr. Delmar Edwards,” he said. “We came here and we came on a vision, not by mistake. This was an opportunity that I felt at that time is where I needed to be.

“I came here with one goal in mind and that was to make a difference in the community that we live,” he said. “People ask me all the time, ‘What are you most proud of?’ I’m most proud of my children. They have been the delight of our lives.”

He also thanked his staff, which he described as small but “second to none.”

Davis grew up in Arkansas as the second of three children. His mother was a long-time educator, and his father worked at a local bakery before starting his own shoeshine business.

Davis got his first job shinning shoes at the age of 10, and he began working at a bakery at 14. After high school, he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Lane College in Jackson, Tenn. He later served two years in the U.S. Army, both in the states and abroad. Upon returning home, he received a master's degree in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University.

Davis began his 39-year broadcasting career in television, where he spent 12 years in marketing and sales management. During that time, he joined the ABC television national sales team, managing the Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Detroit sales offices.

He started Davis Broadcasting in June 1986 with his wife, Cheryl. The company now owns 10 stations - six in Columbus and four in Atlanta. The six in Columbus are: WFXE Foxie 105, WOKS AM 1340, WKZJ K92.7, WIOL ESPN, WEAM Praise 100.7 and WOKS AM 1340.

The company also hosts several annual events, which include the Needy Children’s Christmas Party, Family Day Music Festival, Jazz on the River Concert Series, and the Annual Women’s Empowerment Luncheon.

This story was originally published February 20, 2017 at 3:16 PM with the headline "Davis Broadcasting CEO receives legacy award at black history breakfast."