Hall of Fame 11/14/2024 4:37:00 PM

2024 UMF Athletics Hall of Fame Spotlight: Julie Davis

FARMINGTON, Maine - The University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) Department of Athletics will host the Class of 2024 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, November 22nd. THe event will be held in the North Dining Hall at 111 South Street, Farmington. The evening wil begin with appetizers at 5:30 PM, followed by dinner at 6:30 PM.

Tickets for the event are $30 for adults, $15 for children ages 6-12, and free for children five and under. Please follow this LINK to register for the event.

The UMF Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2024 features four former athletes and one longtime administrator.

Julie Davis, is our fifth and final member of the UMF Athletics Class of 2024. Davis served as the Director of Athletics, Fitness, and Recreation for 21 years at the University of Maine at Farmington before retiring during the summer of 2021. Aside from her duties within the Athletic Department, Davis also led Mainely Outdoors, and was the coordinator of the Coaching minor where she assumed the role as a UMF Faculty member.

During her two-plus decades at the University of Maine at Farmington, Davis pioneered the expansion of the Division III athletic offerings of the institution. When she took over as the Director of Athletics, the University supported just nine athletic programs. By the time she retired, she had grown the institution's athletic offering tenfold. A department that once boasted just nine NCAA athletic programs, is now up to 15 to go along with the snowsports program that was reintroduced under her direction. Davis' persistence and dream of bringing back the historic UMF snowsports program came to fruition after she secured a $100K Libra Grant as seed money to revive competition for the program.

When Davis first assumed the helm in Farmington, the University of Maine at Farmington held dual memberships as an NAIA and an NCAA Division III institution. When she first assumed the role, the Beavers were a part of the Maine Athletic Conference (MAC), before transitioning to the Sunrise Conference at the start of the 2002-2003 season. Following one season in the Sunrise Conference, Davis spearheaded a shift from the dual NAIA and NCAA Division III membership to an entirely NCAA Division III model of athletics as Farmington joined the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) at the start of the 2003-2004 academic year.

Throughout her lasting tenure and the expansion of the athletic offerings, participation expanded and the department saw several facility upgrades, renovations, and expansions. Davis played a crucial role in expanding alumni engagement through the participation in alumni games, events, and through donations. The dedication of Leib Field (the home of the Farmington men's and women's soccer teams) and the Len MacPhee Court were campaigns led under the discretion of Davis. She also played a vital role in the creation of the varsity weight room inside Dearborn Gymnasium and also began the campaign to remodel and upgrade the Dick Meader Hall of Fame prior to her retirement.

At the heart of endeavors were the students, and the experience she hoped the department and the university could offer them. Throughout her 21 year career at UMF, academic achievement and community involvement became pillars of the department that she ran. The most recent student-athlete graduation rate at the time of her retirement was 80%, a rate that is difficult to match for a public institution. Davis was also proud to say that UMF student-athletes engaged in more than 800 hours of community service in any given year.

In 2010, Davis earned the National NCAA Division III Administrator of the Year Award from Women Leaders in College Sports (NACWAA). A leader through and through, Davis held numerous leadership roles throughout her career at the conference, regional, and national level including; a member of the NCAA All-Division Committee for Women's Athletics as well as NAC Chair, Senior Woman Administrator, Treasurer, and Secretary. In 2018, the University of Maine at Farmington recognized her with the Distinguished Staff "Above and Beyond Award", which is nominated by staff and was awarded to Davis for her contributions to the UMF community. In 2023 during the NCAA's celebration of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators (NACDIIIA) wrote a spotlight article on Davis as someone who "paved the way for future athletes to be successful in collegiate athletics because of the passing of Title IX".

Davis is a graduate of Bethany College in West Virginia where she earned a Bachelor's Degree, double majoring in Elementary and Physical Education. Davis achieved a Master's Degree in Exercise Science from Marshall University. Her education continued as she completed Doctoral coursework and comprehensives in Athletics and Physical Education Administration from the University of Iowa.

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