BOARD OF DIRECTORS
At the heart of The Davis Focus Project, we are guided by a passionate and diverse group of individuals who bring their unique expertise and unwavering commitment to our mission. Our Board of Directors plays a pivotal role in steering our organization toward its goals and ensuring that we continue to make a positive impact on the community we serve.
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Comprising leaders from various backgrounds and industries, our board members bring a wealth of experience, knowledge, and a shared vision for a better future. Together, they provide strategic guidance, oversight, and unwavering support to our initiatives.
BRANDON DAVIS, CEO/FOUNDER
Brandon D. Davis is the founder of The Davis Focus Project, a Non-Profit for Human Performance. While serving in the Army, Brandon was the Distinguished Honor Graduate of his flight school class and went on to become a Black Hawk instructor pilot in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. Retiring from the military this year, Brandon is the owner of Adrenaline Luxury Rentals, the largest luxury and exotic rental car company in Tennessee, and prior owner and creator of Freedom Flyers Academy in Hopkinsville, KY. Brandon formed The Davis Focus Project after surviving a 3-year deep depression. During this time of hardship, he studied psychology and human performance to devise a plan to recover and regain his resiliency. Realizing how powerful these scientifically proven modalities were in aiding his own recovery, Brandon was inspired to create a Non-Profit to help others in their path to recovery and maximizing human performance. Brandon's primary focus is The Davis Focus Project, but his long-term ambition is to create The Endocrine Corporation, an umbrella to his future Non-Profit ventures. Brandon is a man of faith and dedicated to serving the community. He prides himself in being direct, honest, efficient and a man of his word. Brandon lives in Nashville, TN with his wife, Chelsea, and his two daughters, Carson and Brittany.
DR. DAVID RUDD, DIRECTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY
David Rudd, PH.D., ABPP is Distinguished Professor of Psychology and President Emeritus at the University of Memphis. He has an undergraduate degree from Princeton and an MA and Ph.D. from University of Texas-Austin. He previously served as provost and president at the University of Memphis from 2013-2022. He’s also served in various administrative and faculty roles at the University of Utah, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Baylor. He’s received over $30M in funding for his research addressing suicide risk assessment and treatment. He has over 250 publications and his work has been cited more than 18,000 times. A Gulf War era veteran, his work has focused on the unique aspects of risk in military service members and Veterans. He’s held leadership positions in a range of professional associations, including president of the American Association of Suicidology and the Texas Psychological Association, along with chairing the Texas Board of Examiners of Psychologists. His recent work has focused on digital therapeutics, with his work helping drive the development of a new company, Oui Therapeutics.
PETER OLEKSIAK, TREASURER
Peter Oleksiak is a financial executive with over thirty years of experience, fifteen of those years at the corporate officer level. Mr. Oleksiak previously held the position of Chief Financial Officer & Senior Vice President of DTE Energy Co, a Fortune 500 diversified energy company based in Michigan involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. He currently acts as an independent financial consultant to multiple for profit and non-profit organizations and sits on the board of multiple non-profit organizations. Mr. Oleksiak has extensive experience with traditional electric/gas utilities, oil exploration and processing, natural gas storage and pipelines and renewable energy businesses such as solar and wind and biomass. Mr. Oleksiak received an undergraduate degree from Wayne State University (Michigan) and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
CHELSEA DAVIS, SECRETARY
Chelsea Davis is a Salesforce Senior Consultant, currently focused on optimizing Salesforce platforms for Government and Public Sector clients. With ten years of management experience, Chelsea is skilled in building high-performance teams, strategic problem solving, and project management. As a technology consultant, she excels at visualizing and communicating relationships between data, business processes, and technology to optimize user and customer experiences and improve overall operating performance. Prior to working in the technology field, Chelsea served for ten years in the United States Army, with seven years in the Special Operations Community. As a Senior Human Resources Officer, Chelsea managed multiple HR Departments that supported thousands of Soldiers executing Secretary of Defense-Directed operations. The talent management process she created for United States Army Special Operations Command was adopted by the entire United States Army as a standard operating procedure and is still used to this day. Chelsea possesses a Masters in Human Resources Management from Georgetown University and a Bachelor’s in Political Science from University of Southern Maine, with minors in Military Science and Russian. She is a Salesforce Certified Administrator, SPHR Certified Human Resources Professional, and Certified Scrum Master with an active TS-SCI Security Clearance. Chelsea lives in Nashville, TN with her husband, Brandon, two kids, Carson and Brittany, and two dogs, Harley and Groot.
JERRY CARLETON, BOARD MEMBER
Jerry Carleton, founder and principal of Immix Law Group, is a corporate and securities attorney who counsels private emerging and growth-stage companies on corporate, finance, and securities issues. He focuses on pre-formation planning, entity formation, raising capital, securities compliance, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, leasing and contractual issues, and general day-to-day business advice. Jerry also has experience with non-profit structuring strategies, estate planning and intellectual property matters. Jerry represents clients across a wide range of industries, including technology, SaaS, cryptocurrency, VR/MR/XR, professional services, medical services, wellness services, medical device companies, non-profit, manufacturing, automotive, wineries, retail, art services, creative agencies, marketing and print, graphic design, certified public accounting services, realty and real estate acquisition, mortgage planning, fashion, apparel, upholstery, and recreation. He adds value as a strategic business partner to entrepreneurs and is able to provide clients not only counseling on legal issues, but also advice from a business perspective. Jerry and his wife Heather have founded or co-founded fourteen companies in different industries to date, spanning durable medical equipment, SaaS, cryptocurrency mining, non-profit, private foundation, revenue capital, legal services and commercial real estate.
BRANDON SHEA, BOARD MEMBER
Brandon Shea grew up in Nashville, TN, and attended Miami University in OH where he received his BA in Political Science in 1998 with minors in Economics and Management Information Systems. Following graduation, he worked with Habitat for Humanity International in GA helping coordinate volunteers with work sites across the country and serving as an international trip leader. In 2000, Brandon began his career in financial services in Denver, CO where he also served as volunteer ski patrol at Copper Mountain. Over the past 23 years, he’s served in roles ranging from outside sales to senior management for asset management firms such as Transamerica, Citigroup and T. Rowe Price (where he’s worked since 2017). As a Defined Contribution Investment Consultant, Brandon’s worked with thousands of financial advisors across the country helping them build retirement investment line-ups to serve their clients’ long-term financial goals. Brandon and his wife (a gifted singer, songwriter, teacher and mom) live just north of Nashville, TN on Old Hickory Lake with their three children and are active volunteers in their community. They enjoy traveling and supporting their kids’ hockey & lacrosse games, jiu-jitsu classes and dance recitals. You can often find Brandon on the golf course, on the lake, out of the country on a mission trip to places like Haiti and Nepal or staying on top of his investment portfolio that includes real estate, private equity ventures and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gyms throughout Middle Tennessee.
NICK O'KELLY, BOARD MEMBER
Nick O’Kelly is originally from Western Washington, and now lives in Charlotte, NC. He attended Whitworth University in Spokane, WA prior to enlisting in the Army. Nick is married and has two beautiful children who are a daily blessing in his life. In his free time, he enjoys sports, being outdoors, working out, spending time with friends and family, and traveling. Nick retired from the Army in 2023 as a Chief Warrant Officer 3. He initially entered the Army with a Special Forces enlisted contract and served as a Green Beret in 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne). He went on to attend flight school and became a Warrant Officer. After a short time flying in 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, he assessed and was selected to become a Special Operations Blackhawk Pilot in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). He has multiple combat and non-combat deployments worldwide. In his later years of service, Nick O'Kelly confronted personal challenges with mental health. Facing the widespread stigmas associated with seeking help, he experienced trepidation at the thought of jeopardizing his flight status and the esteem of his career. This concern kept him silent, attempting to navigate his difficulties in solitude, a path that proved to be strenuous and unfruitful. It wasn’t until a knee surgery necessitated a pause in his aviation duties that Nick had the opportunity to reevaluate his priorities. This interlude became a pivotal moment for introspection and acceptance of support, fundamentally altering his life’s direction. Empowered by his recovery, Nick is now fervently dedicated to guiding both military and civilian members to recognize the strength in vulnerability. His mission is to foster a culture where reaching out for help is not only accepted but encouraged, illuminating the path of hope in the face of adversity. Nick advocates for the message that no individual should navigate the complexities of life's storms in solitude.