Chip Davis is a fourth generation Arizonan with a passion for his state and its unique politics. Davis grew up in a ranching family and developed a deep appreciation for Arizona and its people through the arts. Davis says he has strong moral values ​​that he carries with him whenever he tackles local politics.

Davis has served as Yavapai County Treasurer since 2020 and is up for re-election this fall. He served five terms as Yavapai County Supervisor from 1997 to 2016 and was first hired by Yavapai County in 1986.

“I'm a Republican, but more than that, I'm a father, a grandfather, a husband and a Christian,” Davis said, “and I've tried to get the message out there that there are many sides to being a human being and there are many different sides to being a person that ultimately leads to being a Republican, an Independent or a Democrat.”

Davis continues to work in government not because he feels he has to, but because he knows there is value in passing on his expertise to his successor.

“It's kind of like when you bring in a veteran in sports to be the play-by-play announcer because they know the game inside and out,” Davis said. “I've learned a lot about how to make Arizona a better place, and I have to share that with the people around me. I think as people, we have a responsibility to try to help others be better at whatever they do.”

Davis believes political polarization is a major decline in national politics, and he longs for a time when government officials can have open discussions about how to run their counties, cities and towns based on what's best for their communities.

While these changes will take time, Davis believes there are great steps being taken that could one day help strengthen civic life in Arizona.

In Davis' eyes, a big change for Arizona could be passing an open primary, saying that with a ballot that represents a group of centrist, reasonable people, Arizonans would be able to “pick candidates based on morals, ethics and goals, not just party affiliation.”

Another strength of Arizona is that it has opened up PAC funding for election campaigns. “It's important to know who's funding elections so you can get a sense of what's behind it,” he said.

Davis' current role as Yavapai County Treasurer is not an easy one, but he loves the job and enjoys working with his colleagues to address complex issues. Doing the job is important, but doing the job right is what really excites Davis. “I think it's the Peter Law of management: you rise to the edge of your incompetence. I never mastered it. When people think of county treasurer, they don't think of a county treasurer. We are the treasurer for 84 different public entities, and the work is enormous,” Davis says. “The amount of work that goes on in my small department of 12 people is incredible. We do $2 billion worth of work every year, and I have a great staff in my department that is proactive. Whenever a challenge comes up, we figure out how to solve it and make it better. I'm still on a steep learning curve, but I'm enjoying every moment of it.”

Book Recommendation:

In this month's Fellow Spotlight, The Honorable Chip Davis I am referring to the book “The Peter Principle,” created by Dr. Lawrence J. Peter and written by Raymond Hull, which theorizes that successful individuals will eventually be promoted into positions for which they are not qualified.

Three years after the publication of “Peter Principle,” Dr. Peter published “Peter's Prescription,” a manual on how to overcome Peter Principle. While the theory itself may be interesting to read, it is much more useful to learn how to overcome it.

You can see all of the Flinn-Brown Fellows' profiles here.