The Mississippi Center for Public Policy announced today that its CEO, Jon Pritchett, is leaving at the end of July. Board member Lesley Davis, a lawyer, activist, and native Mississippian, will serve as interim CEO while the Board conducts a national search for a replacement.
Pritchett is returning to his home state of North Carolina and to the private sector as the president of a tech company.
During Pritchett’s tenure, MCPP experienced record levels of financial support for the organization, the expansion of constitutional litigation through the Mississippi Justice Institute, and unprecedented growth of its statewide and national thought leadership.
“Jon has done a tremendous job at leading this organization, moving it in the right direction, and laying the groundwork for an even brighter future,” Jim Herring, Chairman of the Board for MCPP, said. “The work Mississippi Center for Public Policy does is vitally important to the future of the state and that is why I am so excited that Lesley Davis has agreed to serve as interim CEO. Lesley brings a tremendous skill set to the organization, she has been an invaluable board member, and I know she will serve our organization well during this transition.”
“I have enjoyed my work here in Mississippi more than anything else I’ve ever done professionally,” said Pritchett. “Thanks to an outstanding team, a dedicated board, and supporters who believe in our ideas, we’ve moved the needle for liberty and freedom. I’ll forever hold a special place in my heart for Mississippi and her citizens and I’m especially excited that Lesley is taking over the reins of the organization. Her talents and passions will make MCPP even stronger.”
“I could not be more honored to serve an organization so dedicated and effective as a thought leader in promoting liberty-minded conservative principles in Mississippi,” said Davis. “MCPP’s growth and successes under Jon have been phenomenal, and I am personally grateful for all I have learned from him as he has sharpened and clarified MCPP’s role in helping make Mississippi more prosperous and free. Until we have chosen our next permanent CEO, I look forward to working with the dedicated board and the incredibly talented MCPP team in building a Mississippi where individual liberty, opportunity, and responsibility reign through limited government.”
Davis earned her Bachelor of Arts from Mississippi State University and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore. She has worked as a law clerk and attorney for the late Honorable Arlin M. Adams, U.S. Office of Independent Counsel, Washington D.C. She later served as a partner in a leading Baltimore law firm.
In addition to the MCPP Board, Davis serves on numerous boards including the Cline Centers, MSU Alumni Advisory, MSU Honors College, Delta Gamma Fraternity Jackson Alumnae Chapter, Bully Bloc Executive Committee, Young Life Executive Committee, and the Jackson Preparatory School’s Global Leadership Institute.
Davis is married to Dr. John D. Davis IV. They have three children and are members of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson.
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Release from the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.
Magnolia Tribune
