Keynote Speaker and Corporate Trainer Cornelia Davis

Dr. Cornelia E. Davis is an accomplished medical professional who has dedicated her life to promoting public health across the globe. Throughout her illustrious career spanning more than 45 years, she has played a key role in the eradication of smallpox, combated malaria, HIV/AIDS, and Avian Influenza, and responded to epidemics such as meningococcal meningitis, yellow fever, and cholera outbreaks.
Dr. Davis's contributions to the smallpox eradication program in India from 1975 to 1977 were critical. As one of the few women and the only Black American female doctor involved in this initiative, her experiences are detailed in her memoir, "Disrupter How Dr.Connie's Team Eradicated Smallpox in India." The memoir provides an intimate look at the challenges she faced during this crucial period.
As the Chief of Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) at the World Health Organization (WHO) Pan African EPR Center(1990-93) in Addis Ababa, Dr. Davis developed an early warning surveillance system for epidemics, such as meningococcal meningitis.
She responded to yellow fever and cholera outbreaks in various East African countries. During her tenure as Acting Director of the EPR Center in Ethiopia, Dr. Davis's extraordinary actions, including the evacuation of WHO staff and families to Nairobi amidst a fast-moving civil war, crossing feuding armies to rescue a child shot in the back as his family tried to reach the capital, securing the release of a wrongly imprisoned WHO national staff member, and adopting her daughter, are detailed in her memoir, "Three Years in Ethiopia, How a Civil War and Epidemics Led Me to my Daughter."
The memoir also details how Davis could spirit her daughter out of Addis when no Ethiopian was allowed to leave the country!
In addition to her work in smallpox eradication and epidemic preparedness, Dr. Davis also focused on HIV/AIDS, malaria, and avian influenza. In 1996, Dr. Davis as the Country Resident Advisor for the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in India, was alerted to the alarming prevalence of injecting drug use and HIV/AIDS among Tibetan youth, by an NGO working on harm reduction.
She contacted H.H. The Dalai Lama to inform him of this new and deadly disease and organized the first HIV/AIDS training for Tibetan health officials in India and Nepal. Dr. Davis documented her experiences traveling in Afghanistan, working with Cambodian refugees in a refugee camp in Thailand, documenting severe malnutrition among Somali refugees, and other adventures in her latest memoir, "Risking Is Better Than Regretting, Live Without Regrets"

Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Davis has been a staunch advocate for women's representation in the medical field. She was among the first two African American female medical students at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine (1968). As a medical student, she secured a Hooper Foundation Summer Research Grant to study roundworm infection in Kuala Lumpur Hospital's Pediatric Ward in 1970. As a third-year medical student, she was the first Black female doctor to work on the White River Apache Indian Reservation, where she researched proving mothers could be trained to make life-saving sugar-salt solutions to treat infant diarrhea.

Meet Dr. Connie, a seasoned adventurer and passionate humanitarian. Forty-six years ago, she trekked to Mount Everest's Nepal base camp, and in October 2022, she returned there by helicopter, showcasing her indomitable spirit.
Throughout her illustrious career, Dr. Connie has collaborated with esteemed organizations like the WHO, UNICEF, and USAID. She's presented AIDS & Religion conference results to Senegal's President, Mr. Abdou Diouf, and even H.H. The Dalai Lama had a dream about her. With his approval, she pioneered HIV/AIDS training for Tibetan health staff from India and Nepal.
But her impact isn't limited to boardrooms. She once briefed First Lady Rosalynn Carter on Cambodian refugees' health status during her visit to Sakaeo Camp in Thailand. Amid Ethiopia's civil war in 1990-91, she adopted a 3-month-old infant found on the steps of St. George Cathedral, and together they journeyed across Senegal, India, and Kenya.
While she occasionally consults, Dr. Connie's true passion lies in inspiring young people, especially women and girls, to embrace change by stepping outside their comfort zones. Her motto: Taking risks beats living with regrets.

Dr. Connie, an adventurous and accomplished individual.

Over four decades ago, she embarked on a remarkable journey to the base camp of Mount Everest on the Nepalese side. Fast forward to October 2022, and she revisited the Everest base camp, this time by helicopter—a testament to her enduring spirit.

Dr. Connie has made a significant impact through her work with organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). She even presented HIV/AIDS conference findings to Mr. Abdou Diouf, the President of Senegal.

Her influence extends beyond borders; even H.H. The Dalai Lama had a dream about her. On a visit to Sakaeo Camp, she briefed First Lady Rosalynn Carter on the health status of Cambodian refugees.

In a heartwarming twist, while working in Ethiopia during the civil war (1990-91), Dr. Connie adopted a 3-month-old infant girl left on the steps of St. George Cathedral. Romene, her daughter, has accompanied her on her international postings in Senegal, India, and Kenya.

Now settled on the northern shore of Lake Chapala, just 40 minutes south of Guadalajara, Mexico, Dr. Connie enjoys a diverse range of activities. She's an active member of a writers' group, auditions for roles at the Lakeside Little Theater, explores remote destinations like the tiny kingdom of Mustang, and occasionally indulges in horseback riding at a hacienda on the southern side of the lake.