Kelly Davids named president of The Appraisal Foundation

The Appraisal Foundation this week named Kelly Davids, former superintendent of the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing, as its new president.

Davids, who has been a foundation staff member since 2013 as a senior vice president, is also a former foundation trustee and has served various roles in Ohio politics over the past 40 years. She served as mayor of LaRue, Ohio; as director of constituent inquiries in the office of former Gov. Bob Taft; and in other roles for the state’s Department of Education and Department of Commerce.

Kelly Davids

As an SVP of the Appraisal Foundation, Davids already served to manage the organization’s day-to-day operations and has helped lead special projects.

“We are thrilled to have such a qualified person as Kelly Davids to lead the Foundation’s next chapter,” Tracy Johnston, chair of the foundation’s board of trustees, said in a statement. “With Kelly’s thoughtful and inclusive vision for the organization, I have complete confidence that Kelly will meet and surpass the Board of Trustees initial expectations.”

The selection of Davids as president serves as the culmination of a search for a new leader that began in 2022, according to the foundation. At that time, outgoing president Dave Bunton informed the foundation that he would be retiring at the end of his current contract.

The foundation’s board of trustees formed a CEO search committee in the summer of 2023 and initially considered internal candidates for the position, the foundation said.

“Following background and reference checks, three rounds of interviews, and a presentation, the committee voted unanimously to advance a recommendation to the full board of trustees to name Davids as the next foundation president,” the organization said.

Bunton’s contract with the organization expires on Dec. 31, 2024. Davids is scheduled to assume the role of president on March 31, at which point Bunton will transition into a new role as a senior adviser. He will, however, “remain an available resource to foundation boards and staff on an as needed basis through the end of his contract,” the foundation explained.

The Appraisal Foundation describes itself as “the nation’s foremost authority on the valuation profession,” which sets “Congressionally-authorized standards and qualifications for real estate appraisers.”