Edward Davis, Jr.

THE REVEREND EDWARD REYNOLDS DAVIS JR.

The Reverend Edward Reynolds Davis Jr. joined the ministerial ranks of Mt. Ephraim Baptist Church in Atlanta on April 14, 2018 as an Associate Minister, receiving a Gospel Ministry License from the Rev. Dr. R. L. White Jr., Pastor. His seminary studies were at the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse School of Religion.

He is a double-major graduate of California State University, Northridge in Journalism and Behavioral Science (Afro American Studies), where he was a member of the collegiate award-winning CSUN Sundial newspaper staff, and Pan African Studies Department Senior Class President. In addition to seminary, his post-graduate work includes the Masters in American Studies Program at Kennesaw State University in Georgia, and Harvard University Kennedy School of Government Seminars.

Davis retired from professional employment November 30, 2018 after a 45-year multi-faceted distinguished Journalism career as a news reporter and editor with the Van Nuys/Los Angeles Daily News (beat reporter), Los Angeles Sentinel (City Editor) and Pittsburgh Courier (Managing Editor); corporate public relations counselor with Fleishman-Hillard, Inc.; and municipal and federal government public affairs. He is a recipient of six national news writing awards and numerous community affairs recognitions. He also served as a staff writer for Sepia Magazine, correspondent for Associated Press, Journalism Professor and student newspaper advisor at Compton Community College, and Editor of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Oracle Magazine (1998-2002). His articles also have appeared in the Columbia Law Review, Missouri Municipal Review, and Geothermal Energy magazines. He is also the author of four books.

In municipal government, he was a Press Secretary for two mayors in St. Louis and mayoral Director of Communications in Birmingham. He concluded his career in federal government beginning in 2008 as Regional Coordinator over a staff of nearly 200 people for media and community relations covering Georgia, Florida and Alabama for the U.S. Department of Commerce, Census Bureau 2010 decennial census, before moving over to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, from which he retired in 2018.

His federal agencies background includes work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency heading the Joint Information Command, public information operation, for the 1999 visit of Pope John Paul II that entailed coordinating and participating in training at the FEMA Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland alongside officials from U.S. Secret Service, FBI, ATF and state and local law enforcement agencies, receiving Secret Service credentials for the operation. Certified on a number of FEMA incident management levels, he coordinated Homeland Security FEMA National Incident Management System training for public safety personnel in Birmingham. He was borrowed annually from the IRS for FEMA work during national disaster recovery missions. In 1998-1999 he was a community affairs consultant to the U.S. Department of Justice Midwest Region on President Bill Clinton’s One America initiative.

He has served as a member of several professional and community organizations.  By virtue of serving as the National Public Relations Director for the Afro American History and Genealogy  Society, he serves on the AAHGS National Board of Directors. He has been a member of the Public Relations Society of America since 1982. He served on the University of Pittsburgh Publications Advisory Board, and was a member of the Project 2000 Board of Directors (addressing the unmet needs of college bound students). In 2007 he completed the FBI Citizens Academy in Birmingham, and in 2016 was a member of the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Chapter of the FBI Academy Alumni Association. During his corporate communications years he was assigned as public relations counselor and liaison to the INROADS Inc. National Board of Directors, and has worked with national leadership of the NAACP and National Sickle Cell Association.

He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and served in a number of National and District leadership capacities 1982-2002.  In the mid-1980s, along with a group of Black professionals led by the late St. Louis Civil Rights icon Norman Seay, Attorney Eric Vickers and Frederick Wright, Davis was a Co-Founder and Charter Member of the St. Louis Chapter of 100 Black Men.

Davis is very proud of his years as a youth sports coach with championships in baseball, basketball and football.  He has been a father-figure to many youths, inspiring and helping to direct their efforts towards academic excellence and self-fulfilling adults. He coached with the St. Louis Mathews-Dickey Boys Club football and baseball programs; Ferguson and Florissant youth basketball and baseball programs; and the Pittsburgh Ammons Recreation Center basketball and baseball programs. He served two years as a volunteer basketball coach at his alma mater Langley High School in Pittsburgh.

Rev. Davis started his Christian walk at an early age at St. John the Evangelist Missionary Baptist Church in Pittsburgh and has been church affiliated in every city he lived: First Evergreen Missionary Baptist Church in Compton; Washington Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis; Greenforest Community Baptist Church in Decatur upon arriving in Atlanta area in 2005; Sixteenth Street Baptist Church while living in Birmingham 2006-2008.  Upon returning to Atlanta, and searching for a church home due to the passing of Rev. George McCalep at Greenforest, the Lord led him to a chance business meeting with the Rev. Dr. R. L. White Jr. resulting in his uniting with Mt. Ephraim.

Davis was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He spent his early adult life in Compton, California.  He is the father of four adult children. He and his wife, Mary, reside in Marietta.

Board Member