About Us
The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation is a private family foundation established in 1970 by the late James E. Davis and his mother, the late Irene E. Davis. Irene and her husband, George, were dedicated leaders in supporting and promoting cultural, educational, human service, and religious organizations throughout Hampden County. Having spent part of her childhood in an orphanage, Irene’s early experiences inspired a lifelong commitment to giving back to the community.
The Davis Foundation has been a long-time advocate for children and families. In the early 2000s, the Foundation convened Cherish Every Child, a community-wide initiative focused on early learning in Springfield. Guided by data and best practices, this work eventually led to the launch of Reading Success by 4th Grade (RS4G) in 2009, a community-based movement to improve the reading scores of Springfield children. In recognition of these efforts, Springfield was named an All-America City in 2012 and 2017 by the National Civic League and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading (CGLR). RS4G and Springfield, along with a handful of communities nationwide, also earned CGLR’s national Pacesetter Award multiple years for leadership in youth literacy.
Today, the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation continues to support nonprofit organizations working throughout Hampden County. The Foundation also partners with statewide organizations to better serve communities across the region.
Our Team
Kiley O’Meara
Executive Director
Kiley brings three decades of experience in philanthropy, policy, and education to her role as Executive Director. Kiley previously worked as a Senior Researcher at Stanford University in the PACE research center focused on improving policy, philanthropy and practice in PreK-16 education. Prior to that, she was Director of Policy and Research at GreatSchools, Program Officer at The Stupski Foundation, and Policy Director of the Bay Area chapter of the national Annenberg Challenge. A native of Massachusetts, she began her career as a VISTA/AmeriCorps volunteer at the Suffolk County House of Correction in Boston. Kiley is a mother of four and holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy (MPP) from the Harvard Kennedy School, and a B.A. from Middlebury College.
Becca Smith
Program Officer
In her role as Program Officer, Becca builds on her experience in early childhood policy and education research across nonprofit, public, and philanthropic sectors. She supports the Foundation’s grantmaking strategy and helps strengthen its approach to learning and evaluation. Prior to joining the Foundation, Becca served as a Policy Strategist at All Our Kin, a Graduate Fellow with the Boston Mayor’s Office of Early Childhood, and an education researcher at the American Institutes for Research. She holds a Master’s degree in Education Policy and Analysis from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a B.A. in Psychology and Human Development from Connecticut College.
Cheyenne Ferro
Executive Assistant
Cheyenne brings over a decade of administrative experience to the Foundation. In her role, she supports daily operations through meeting scheduling, coordination, and grant-related assistance. Prior to joining the Davis Foundation, Cheyenne worked at Baystate Medical Center in Patient Safety and Graduate Medical Education. She holds an M.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Springfield College and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Board of Directors
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Laurel Ferretti
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Stephen A. Davis
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Drew Davis
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Jane Davis-Kusek
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John H. Davis
(Emeritus)
Funding That Helps Our Community Thrive
The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation invests in initiatives and organizations that help children and families in Hampden County thrive.