Sandra Davis’ heart of gold
IT is not immediately obvious when you first meet Sandra Davis that she is one of the hardest working people in the room. She does not announce herself. She does not dominate conversations. She listens more than she speaks. And yet, if you stay long enough — through a full meeting, a service project, a planning session that runs late — you begin to notice something unusual. While others tire, Sandra does not disappear. While enthusiasm ebbs, she remains steady. While the room thins out, she is still there.
This is why, among Kiwanians in Eastern Canada and the Caribbean (EC&C) Division 23 East, she is affectionately called the Energiser Bunny. Not because she is loud or relentless, but because her energy seems renewable — drawn from a deeper place than adrenaline or ambition. For many, what stands out most is not how much she does, but how consistently she does it.
Born in Rollington Town, Kingston, to parents Joseph and Sheila Davis, Davis was introduced to service early — not through instruction, but by example. Her family later moved to Harbour View, St Andrew, where she has lived for the past 49 years, a constancy that mirrors the way she approaches people and commitments.
By the time she attended St Hugh’s High School, service had already taken root. Alongside playing centre on her school’s netball team and competing in the 400m and 4x400m relay events, Davis participated in Key Club activities. As the largest student-led organisation under Kiwanis International, Key Club focuses on service, leadership, and character — values that would quietly shape her future.
After leaving St Hugh’s, Davis never imagined she would return to Kiwanis. Instead, she continued serving through her church and the St Hugh’s Past Students’ Association. But in 2004, a visit from then president of the Kiwanis Club of New Kingston, Lola Chin Sang, changed everything. Having learned of Davis’ Key Club background, Chin Sang encouraged her to re-engage with the movement. That single conversation charted the course for a lifetime of service.
Armed with a Bachelor’s in Professional Management (Marketing) from Nova Southeastern University, a MBA from the University of New Orleans, and a recently completed Master of Laws in Corporate Governance from the University of Cumbria, Davis brings academic rigour to her work. Combined with more than 36 years of managerial experience, her Kiwanis journey reads less like a résumé and more like institutional memory in motion.
Still, if you want to understand Davis, do not start with titles. Start with children.
Davis does not have children of her own. Instead, she has chosen to mother through service. As a Kiwanian advisor to eight Service Leadership Programme (SLP) schools, she mentors young people with patience, presence, and moral clarity. These relationships are not ceremonial; they are sustained, practical, and deeply personal.
Her commitment to growth extends beyond one club. In 2018, following her employment with the Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB), Davis helped charter the first corporate Kiwanis club in Jamaica — the Kiwanis Club of JFB Kingston (JFBK) — a milestone that speaks to her vision for expanding Kiwanis’ reach.
She also serves as Division 23 East SLP chair for Aktion Club, an EC&C mentor for the Service Leadership Programme, and a certified club coach, shaping both youth and adult leaders with the same care. As director of membership, JFBK, and an EC&C certified club leadership education trainer for Division 23 East (2025–2028), she has spent years modelling what values-based leadership looks like in practice.
Davis is a graduate of the Kiwanis International Amplify Programme, part of its first certification cohort, and has served on the All Island Convention Committee (2022) — experiences that reflect her belief that Kiwanis must evolve, but never lose its soul.
She often describes herself as “little but tallawah”. In Jamaican expression, the phrase refers to someone small in stature but mighty in spirit. It fits.
She does not lead with theatrics. Her authority comes from integrity, moral consistency, and a strong ethical compass. She has navigated difficult moments — the kind where leadership is tested not by applause, but by pressure. She does not rise to provocation or perform outrage. She stays grounded, principled, and focused on the work.
Those who know her describe her as respectful and honest; cooperative and results-oriented; spiritual and loving; humble but proud. Not flawless — but deeply anchored in values.
Over the years, Davis has served as president, president-elect, vice-president, secretary, director, committee chairman, and committee co-chairman within both the Kiwanis Club of New Kingston and JFB Kingston. At the divisional level, she served as division secretary (2021–2022) and lieutenant governor-elect (2022–2023) — roles demanding diplomacy, patience, and unity.
Today, she serves as Distinguished President of the Kiwanis Club of New Kingston and is seeking to serve as Lieutenant Governor Elect 2026-2027 of EC&C Division 23 East, guided by the motto: “To Serve with Love and Lead by Example”.
Her work has been recognised repeatedly, including Kiwanian of the Year on multiple occasions, Distinguished Secretary, President’s Awards, the Godfrey Dyer Medallion, Frank Melhado Award, Spirit of Kiwanis, Distinguished President, Distinguished Member, and a Ruby K Pin for recruiting 30 new members.
Yet what is most telling is not the list, but her response to it. She rarely speaks of awards. When she does, she redirects the conversation to people.
Beyond Kiwanis, Davis serves as a Justice of the Peace, chairman of the Finance Committee of Harbour View Primary School, a board member, and an usher at The Church of St Margaret.
She believes in strong clubs, supported leaders, mentored youth, and partnerships that multiply impact. And she believes that if there is still work to be done, you do not slow down.
Little, perhaps. But undeniably tallawah.
