Gordon Davis, Ph.D.

Gordon W. Davis, Ph.D., founder, currently serves as the company chairman. Davis earned two B.S. degrees from Washington State University in the 1960s. In 1968, Davis started as an intern high school teacher in Washington. He was an instructor at Texas A&M University for five years while finishing M.S. and Ph.D. requirements, followed by 13 years as a faculty member at the University of Tennessee and Texas Tech University. In 1984, Davis embarked on an entrepreneurial experience when he started Creative Educational Video, later becoming CEV Multimedia and now iCEV, after finding traditional agricultural science textbooks were inadequate.

Throughout his 53-year career, Davis has received 49 university, business and industry awards, which include: National Agricultural Alumni Association Ruby C. McSwaim Outstanding Philanthropist Award’ Sigma Chi International Fraternity Significant Sig Award; Honorary American FFA Degree; American Meat Science Association Intercollegiate Meat Judging Meritorious Service, Signal Service and Industry & Organizational Leadership Awards; University of Tennessee College of Agriculture Outstanding Teacher Award; Texas FFA Foundation Passion for Excellence Award; Texas Tech University College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Outstanding Agriculturalist Award – Agribusiness; Association of Fundraising Professionals (Texas Plains Chapter) Outstanding Philanthropist Award; Washington State University Alumni Association Alumni Achievement Award.

Davis also coached two national championship meat judging teams, winning first at Texas A&M University in 1973 and again at Texas Tech University in 1989.

Despite Davis’ extraordinary accomplishments, he graciously attributes this success to the “players” he has been associated with throughout his career. The Gordon W. Davis Chair in Meat Science and Muscle Biology was established in 2006. Texas Tech University also named the Gordon W. Davis Meat Laboratory in his honor. In 2012, iCEV was named to both the Governor’s State of Texas Small Business Award and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Blue Ribbon Small Business Award lists. iCEV was recognized as the 2014 Association of Career & Technical Education (ACTE) Business Leader of the Year. Davis and iCEV are extremely proud of these recognitions.

A defining moment in Davis’ life was when his family earned the 1964 “Washington State Dairy Family of the Year” award. In fact, much of his success can be attributed to the work ethic instilled in him by his parents while working on the family farm. However, business associates point to Davis’ ability to focus and his pursuit of excellence as the key to his numerous accomplishments. Whether on the high school, university or business level, Davis has an unwavering commitment to upholding the highest standards of scientific investigation and professional comportment. Additionally, Davis has an uncompromising commitment to the advancement of knowledge, not only for himself, his students and his family, but for iCEV teachers and students as well. Davis is most known for the motto, “it’s all about the kids,” and his pursuit of becoming “world class” while encouraging others to do the same. Philanthropy is important to Davis and his family and in 2020, the Gordon & Joyce Davis Foundation was created in perpetuity to award scholarships to students planning to attend community colleges, universities or trade schools.