Kathy Davis

Katherine L. Davis (born June 24, 1956) is an American politician and entrepreneur. She was the 48th lieutenant governor of Indiana, and the first woman to serve in that office.

Early life and education Davis was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and earned a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1978. Her professional career started out with Cambridge Collaborative, a research and development consulting firm owned by her father, Richard H. Lyon. She was an acoustics consultant where she analyzed vibrations in submarines. She attributes her experiences at the firm as her inspiration for much of her present career. She earned her master's degree from Harvard Business School and relocated to Indiana in 1982. After moving to Indiana, she went to work for the Cummins Engine Company where she spent several years leading their manufacturing operations.

Career

Early career Davis was appointed by former Indiana Governor Evan Bayh as the Deputy Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Transportation. She served in the position from 1989 to 1994 where she oversaw the transportation plans of the state.

Upon O'Bannon's death in 2003, Lieutenant Governor Joe Kernan ascended to the governorship, and he appointed Davis Lieutenant Governor, the first woman to hold the post. During her time in office, she served as President of the Indiana State Senate, Commissioner of Agriculture, Secretary of Commerce and chaired the Indiana Counter Terrorism and Security Council. She led the start-up of the company where she was in charge of developing markets in data transport, data processing, and data storage for business, health care organizations, and universities.

In 2006, Davis developed the idea for a virtual way to allow policy makers to develop complex policies. She later took a job in an undefined role in Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett's administration, initially described as "city systems engineer".

Elections