For Lamekia Davis, assuming the role of executive director of the Meredith A. Cowden Foundation is a natural evolution of her life-long passion to help others that took hold when she was just a child.

“When I was 11 years old, my mom was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer,” recounted Davis. “We went through a really rough patch. From the time I was 11 until I was 16, we were homeless. We lost everything. And there were no resources available, no advocacy organizations for us to tap into. I had to learn to be her caretaker.”

Thankfully, Davis’ mother survived and is still alive today. And the experience of it all had a lasting, meaningful impact on Lamekia…so much so that she’s devoted her life to helping others find the resources they need to avoid a situation like hers.

“I’ve always wanted to give back and empower people in the community,” she says, and she’s been working nonstop to do exactly that for decades.

After graduating from college—which Davis put herself through, at night, while remaining at home to be with her mother—she went to work in the banking sector, while simultaneously starting a foundation aimed at preventing homelessness. From there, she transitioned into the non-profit world professionally—while still steering her foundation and undertaking financial literacy initiatives—to work with stem cell transplant recipients for the Icla da Silva Foundation. Most recently, she served as executive director of Chicago operations for The Community Blood Center.

All of Davis’ pursuits have shared a common thread—helping others navigate extremely difficult situations in their lives…and that’s exactly why the role of executive director with MACF was so appealing to her.

“I see myself as sort of a crossing guard to help take this amazing organization to the next level,” says Davis. “I’m excited to expand our reach and let the nation—and the world—know about all the wonderful resources we offer to people living with graft vs. host disease (GVHD).”

“When our search committee set out to hire a new ED for the Foundation, we were looking for someone just like Lamekia,” says Meredith Cowden, our previous executive director and current board member. “Not only does she understand first-hand the life-altering implications of access to resources for people facing chronic disease, she’s an expert in the intersection of finance and non-profits as well. We’re all excited to see what the next chapter holds with her at the helm.”