Meet the Secretary

John F. Davis

John F. Davis was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis to serve as Florida Lottery's tenth Secretary on October 26, 2020 and was unanimously confirmed by the Florida Senate during the 2021 Legislative Session. Following Governor DeSantis' re-election in November 2022, Secretary Davis gratefully accepted the opportunity to continue serving in his role at the Florida Lottery.

An accomplished leader with more than 25 years of service in the public and private sectors, Secretary Davis served as the Executive Vice President of the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce and as President of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida prior to leading the Florida Lottery.

Under Secretary Davis' leadership, the Florida Lottery has seen consecutive years of record-breaking sales and transfers to the state's Educational Enhancement Trust Fund (EETF). In fact, in Fiscal Years 2020-2022, the Florida Lottery held the top spot among the nation's Lotteries in revenue production and top five in efficiencies. Fiscal Years 2020-2022 also marked the first time in the Lottery's history of back-to-back contributions to the EETF that exceeded $2 billion in a single fiscal year, and, in December 2022, the Florida Lottery surpassed $44 billion in total transfers to the EETF. These milestone contributions have enabled more than 950,000 students to attend college through the Bright Futures Scholarship Program that is primarily funded by the Florida Lottery.

In accord with Governor DeSantis' vision, Secretary Davis has championed the development of partnerships that expand awareness and opportunities around the Bright Futures Scholarship Program. His desire is for all students, especially those living in challenging communities, to be informed and equipped with the tools necessary to qualify for a scholarship because he believes that students in every corner of our great state should know that a brighter future is attainable.

Secretary Davis has received many accolades throughout his career for his commitment to the communities and organizations he has served. In 2022, he was a recipient of the Orlando Business Journal's 2022 Power Players Award, and he was named a 5,000 Role Models of Excellence History Maker and placed in the U.S. Congressional Record in January 2021. Additionally, Secretary Davis was an honoree of the 2021 MAN UP Mentoring Community Champion Award, a recipient of the 2021 ONYX Magazine Men of Honor Award, and, in 2018, Orlando Magazine named him one of the Top 15 Leaders to Watch.

Committed to community give-back, Secretary Davis volunteers his time as a Board Member with the Heart of Florida United Way, Valencia College Board of Trustees, FAMU Law Dean's Advisory Council, Kappa Alpha Psi Achievement Foundation Board of Directors, Chair of the Volunteer Florida Board of Commissioners, and as a state representative for multiple national Lottery Associations.

Secretary Davis is a native of Pahokee, Florida and earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Florida State University where he was a standout safety for the Seminole football team, under the tutelage of the legendary Coach Bobby Bowden. He and his wife Felicia reside in Orlando, Florida.