On October 14th, 2025, the Winona Community Foundation was proud to honor Judy Davis with the 2025 Founders Award, which honors individuals who have demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to improving life in the Winona area through the use of their time, talent, and treasure. Individuals selected to receive the award have the opportunity to grant $5,000 dollars from the Founders Endowment Fund to the charity of their choice.

Judy Davis’s story starts in 1976, when she and her husband, Dr. Bill Davis, moved to Winona for his general practice physician position at Winona Health. It was the beginning of a lifelong journey rooted in service, learning, and giving back.

A graduate of Luther College, Judy began her teaching career in the Twin Cities. After relocating to Winona, she continued her passion for education at St. Stanislaus School and later within the Winona Area Public Schools working with elementary and middle school students. Her dedication to her students led her to pursue advanced degrees in education and administration from Winona State University. With those credentials, she stepped into leadership roles, eventually serving as a principal in several schools across the district until her retirement in 2011.

In retirement, Judy’s commitment to education has never waned. She joined the staff at Winona State University, where she continues to supervise and mentor student teachers, shaping the next generation of educators with the same care and wisdom that defined her own career.

Judy’s contributions to Winona extend far beyond education. She has been a tireless volunteer and leader across numerous organizations. More recently those organizations include Central Lutheran Church, Winona Health, the Winona Community Foundation, the Foundation for Winona Area Public Schools, the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, the Beethoven Festival, the Fish and Float Program, the Ruskin Study Club, and PEO Chapter CS. She has served on her church council and nonprofit boards, always bringing her insight, warmth, and dedication to every endeavor.

Judy’s inspiration to serve her community runs deep. She reflects on the quiet strength and generosity of her parents, who lived through the Great Depression yet always found ways to help others—especially family. Active in their church and local schools, they modeled a life of purpose and compassion. Her late husband Bill, a gentle and generous man, shared those values. His legacy lives on not only in the lives he touched as a physician, but also in the Winona Health Simulation Lab—a project Judy helped bring to life in his memory with a generous gift. With the support of the Winona Health Foundation, her donation helped establish a space that blends teaching and technology, two of Bill’s greatest passions. Since its inception, the lab has trained countless healthcare professionals, enhancing patient care and emergency services throughout the region.

Despite her many accomplishments, Judy remains humble. “I have had tremendous role models,” she says. “Working with individuals who embrace what is needed in the Winona community has been an ongoing learning experience.” She believes she has gained more from her community than she has given, a sentiment that speaks volumes about her character.

In her spare time, Judy finds joy in the simple pleasures of life—spending time with family and friends, walking, and riding her recumbent bike.

“I am truly honored,” she says, “to live among a community of givers. Winona offers so much—education, outdoor beauty, excellent medical care, and a spirit of philanthropy that binds us together. I’m just one of many working to make it a compassionate and caring place.”

The Foundation is grateful to Judy for her generosity, and to all who attended and made the event a success.

VIDEO & PHOTOS FROM EVENT, COMING SOON!

The Winona Community Foundation offers a range of charitable options and funds for individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits to accomplish their philanthropic goals. As your trusted partner, resource, and steward for community philanthropy, the Winona Community Foundation is committed to helping every individual give back in a way that is both meaningful to them and to the causes they care about.