DECATUR, Ill. – alumnus and former U.S. Representative Rodney Davis returned to Decatur on Tuesday, November 25, as the keynote speaker for the Decatur Regional Chamber of Commerce’s 72nd Annual Community Thanksgiving Luncheon, where he highlighted the formative role Millikin University played in his life and career.
Addressing a packed ballroom of community leaders, Davis, now head of , called Decatur his “second hometown,” crediting Millikin with helping shape his work ethic, leadership skills, and drive to serve others.
“Decatur was the only place I ever lived outside of Taylorville, and I had the wonderful experience I had at Millikin University,” Davis said.
Davis noted that after a rocky first year elsewhere, he transferred to Millikin, where he learned how to manage his time and take advantage of opportunities.
Davis, from the Class of 1992, recalled the professors and staff members who mentored him, including Dr. Robert McIntyre, Dr. Paul Folger, and longtime Women’s Basketball Head Coach and current Vice President for Athletics and Community Engagement Lori Kerans.
“That’s the mentorship and the drive to succeed – and more importantly, that’s the expectation of success – that the people at Millikin University made sure that I realized,” Davis told the audience.
In his speech, Davis recalled how Jan Devore, then Dean of Students, helped shape his leadership and accountability as a student. He described debating with Devore over issues related to his fraternity as preparing him for debates in Congress, and those tough conversations helped him learn how to stand his ground, think through decisions, and accept responsibility.
Davis credited Devore and his other mentors with helping him develop the confidence and judgment that later carried him into public service, emphasizing that the real-life lessons he gained in a student leadership role were just as important as anything he learned in the classroom.
During his remarks, Davis also spoke about the path that led him from Central Illinois to a decade of service in the U.S. House of Representatives. He credited Macon County and the Decatur community with supporting his 2012 congressional campaign and his subsequent career in Washington, D.C.
“It was Macon County that allowed me to be the candidate to run for Congress, and ironically, the last results in a congressional district of 14 counties and 700,000 people came from Macon County,” Davis said, recalling his narrow election-night victory.
He shared personal reflections on the privilege of serving in Congress, noting that fewer than 15,000 Americans in history have held that role.
“There’s no way I, from the town of Taylorville, should have ever grown up and had the opportunity to be one of 15,000 people in our nation’s history to be able to cast a vote on your behalf,” he said.
Closing his message, Davis encouraged community members to continue supporting and inspiring young people, especially Millikin students, as they define their futures.
“The next time a child, a young person, a Millikin student comes up to you and says, ‘I have a dream,’ don’t tell them, ‘Hang on a second, that may not happen,’” Davis said. “Tell them, ‘You can dream big and be anything you want to be in life.’”
The annual Community Thanksgiving Luncheon, founded in 1953, continues to serve as a gathering rooted in gratitude, service, and civic pride, values Davis said are embodied by Decatur, Macon County, and the Millikin University community.
