front&center David G. Davies

Executive director of Winthrop Rockefeller Institute builds on legacy

By Sara Greene

LITTLE ROCK — Although David G. Davies was raised in Little Rock, he and his brothers, Ladd Jr. and Richard, spent much of their childhood free time at the family’s cabin on Petit Jean Mountain.

“There was nothing better. Here we could shoot BB guns, catch tadpoles and grow a garden,” Davies said.

He also met their neighbor, a cattle rancher named Winthrop Rockefeller, who served as the state’s 37th governor.

“Since our family had a cabin up here, we were invited to the barbecues he would have for his cattle sales,” Davies said.

After years spent in Oklahoma and elsewhere in Arkansas, Davies returned to the mountain to become the executive director of the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute of the University of Arkansas System. The institute is an education center with conference and lodging facilities located on 188 acres of farmland on Petit Jean Mountain.

The main building was once the site of Rockefeller’s Santa Gertrudis cattle barns. The lobby of the institute is nestled between twin grain silos constructed in 1954, near the field where the auctions were held.

“The entire campus is a calming place to immerse one’s self during a conference or training,” Davies said.

Walking down the hallways of the institute’s main building, Davies explained the cattle barns were turned into offices for the headquarters of Winrock International, which was founded in 1973, the same year Rockefellerdied. When Winrock International moved its headquarters to Little Rock and Washington, D.C., the property returned to the Winthrop Rockefeller Charitable Trust.

Together with the University of Arkansas System, the trust decided to develop a nonprofit educational conference center.

Davies has been with the institute since it opened its doors in 2005. He is involved in capital projects, the educational function and the organizational structure of the institute.

“We learn more from our failures than our successes, naturally, but I think the secret is to make an adjust

ment quickly if you see something that isn’t working,”

Davies said.

For him, that means sometimes switching an unpopu

lar program and workshop with a popular one.

His wife, Sandy, works at the institute with environ

mental education and special projects. Some of the

other programs offered at the institute include archaeol

ogy, the arts, culinary arts, health and wellness, public

affairs, language instruction and heritage.

“One of the interesting parts of our heritage farm is

the demonstration gardens are in the same layout they

were when the Rockefellers first moved here in 1953,”

Davies said.

He said the heritage farm is modeled after the A.

B. and Christena Westphal farm, which existed on the

Rockefeller property from 1900 to 1953.

Davies said today, culinary chefs at the institute will

get produce from the demonstration gardens for meals

at the institute, which continues the tradition of self-suf

ficiency, rather than just talking about the benefits of

being self-sufficient.

Davies was born July 24, 1947, to Janice and Ladd

Davies. His father was a civil engineer, who served on

the staff of Govs. Dale Bumpers and David Pryor. His

mother was chairwoman of the English department at

Parkview High School in Little Rock.

“One of my favorite memories is my mother driving

a station wagon full of boys up to the cabin for our

birthday parties,” Davies said.

Petit Jean Mountain was also special to the youthwho lived there thousands of years ago.

“Our archeologists believe the Native Americans lived down by the river and came up on the mountain for celebrations and ceremonies,” Davies said.

A graduate of Hall HighSchool in Little Rock, Davies got his bachelor’s in economics and a master’s in public administration at the University of Arkansas. He started his career as a city manager in North Little Rock. He went on to become the city manager of Texarkana and then moved to Tulsa, Okla., to work with his father-in-law in real estate and an auto dealership. After a dozen years in the Tulsa area,Davies moved to Hugo, Okla., where he worked for the state’s tourism and recreation department. The Natural State called and Davies answered by taking a job as executive director of Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs before he joined the institute.

“The thing I enjoy is helping start an organization. When it is a special organization, in a special place with a special legacy, it is just a delightful mix,” Davies said.

Davies said in upcoming months, the institute will be creating a strategic plan for its education functions.

“The best part of this job is being part of the University of Arkansas system and having resources to address problems Arkansas has. This is a place where the future of Arkansas can be developed,” Davies said.

matter of fact My middle name is: Goodbar, which is my mother’s maiden name.

One thing not many people know about me is: I was born in Lima, Peru, when my father was assigned to the State Department.

People I admire are: My father, Ladd Davies Sr., and my wife, Sandy.

I met my wife: At a golf tournament in Nashville, Ark.

The last book I read was: Beyond Darkness by William Manchester. It is a memoir about the war in the Pacific.

One word that describes me would be: Persistent.

Organizations I belong to include: The Conway County Library Board of Directors, the St. Anthony’s Medical Center Board of Directors and the advisory board of the University of Arkansas’ hospitality program.

One thing I’m fond of saying is: I think the author Peter Drucker said it first: “The best way to predict the future is to plan it.” I cannot live without: Bacon.

I am named after: My uncle David Davies who is a retired Presbyterian minister. He lives here on the mountain, so I’m David G. and he’s David B.

River Valley Ozark, Pages 132, 133 on 08/17/2008