Ronald V. Davis

In 1979, Ron Davis founded and helped build the largest bottled water company in America — the Perrier Group of America, which included the brands: Perrier, Arrowhead, Poland Springs, Zephyr Hills, Deer Park, Ozark, San Pellegrino and Great Bear. Eventually the Perrier Group of America sold to Nestle in 1994.

As a first-generation college student who had lived on his own since his senior year of high school, Ron founded Guardian Scholars at California State University Fullerton (CSUF) in 1998 to serve foster youth. The Guardian Scholars program is a comprehensive student empowerment model, which identifies ambitious, capable high school students who are challenged to afford a college education. That program was so successful that today it is active in 91 universities across the US helping thousands of students achieve their dreams.

In addition to serving as a CMU trustee, Ron Davis contributed one of the largest single donor investments in CMU history founding the Davis School of Business in 2020. In addition to scholarships, the contribution integrates My Future Pathways -a program created and funded by Davis to provide access to education for youth and first-generation college students. Davis’ legacy is fixed in the hearts and lives of the students and their families who now have a different trajectory because of his generosity.