2019 Men of the Year: C.J. Davis

SBJ photo by Jessica Rosa

In His Words

Family: Married to my wife, Shawna, for 23 years. We have 17-year-old twin boys, who attend Springfield Catholic High School. On most weekends, you can find our family at a baseball facility somewhere in the Midwest. 
Words to live by: Always build, nurture and maintain relationships.
Favorite place to be: Wherever my wife or boys are, preferably out for dinner.
Critical trait in employees: An openness to feedback and a passion to put team in front of self.

C.J. Davis says no one person, even the captain, sails the ship. Standing as president and CEO at the helm of his ship, Burrell Behavioral Health, Davis works hard to ensure his staff and those seeking assistance at the organization know they belong.

“I believe people are part of the solution, not part of the problem,” Davis says. “This is the philosophy I have taken at every stop in my career, but especially after taking over an organization as multifaceted and as dynamic as Burrell.”

The mental health provider employs approximately 1,500 individuals throughout 25 counties in Missouri and Arkansas. Davis encourages employee involvement through numerous outlets including the staff-led Forward-Thinking Committee, which is a conduit delivering employee feedback to upper management. Davis says staffing at Burrell has increased by more than 20% since 2016 and a quarter of its total payroll is paid as bonus incentives.

“When you create a nurturing environment where people feel appreciated, you operate at your best,” Davis says. “Burrell employees and clients should indeed feel like we’re on the right route to being the best place to work and the best place to receive care.”

Davis says making excellent care possible is a matter of teamwork, and he is grateful for all those who collaborate to keep Burrell sailing strong – the staff, board of directors, management team and other local health providers.

“That certainly includes our partners in the health care industry,” Davis says, “who are willing to drop the pretense of competition and not only refer their clients to Burrell’s services when they need them, but to allow Burrell providers inside their walls so they can be seen the moment they need our help.”

Davis earned a bachelor’s in psychology with a minor in business administration from Culver-Stockton College, a master’s in clinical and counseling psychology from University of Central Missouri and a doctorate in clinical psychology from Forest Institute of Professional Psychology. Before arriving at Burrell in 2017, Davis served at multiple counseling and psychology providers – most recently in the past 10 years at Four County Counseling Center in Indiana, as president and CEO; KidsPeace Children’s Hospital in Pennsylvania, as executive director; Royal Oaks Hospital, as director of psychological and professional services; and Compass Health Inc., as a psychologist.

Davis continues to give back to his community through numerous civic organizations, including Springfield Catholic Baseball Association, Community Partnership of the Ozarks Inc., National Psychology Training Consortium, Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Health, CommCARE Behavioral Health, National Council for Behavioral Health and Community Mental Health Assessment with Healthy Living Alliance.

Davis also has experience as a professor at his alma mater, Forest Institute of Professional Psychology, as well as Park University and Ozarks Technical Community College.