ROBB DAVIS SERVED on the Davis City Council and then as city mayor for four years from 2014 to 2018. How did this peace-loving Mennonite get called into politics and what was his experience when he got there? And how did his Christian faith and values affect his political life and leadership? During his tenure as mayor, Robb led initiatives related to programming for unhoused individuals, restorative justice for youth, sustainable community clean energy acquisition, safe cycling, and police oversight. Robb is co-author of Advocating for Justice: An Evangelical Vision for Transforming Systems and Structures (2016), which argues that, while relief and development are important, advocacy and the transformation of systems and structures are essential for lasting change.

Before coming to Davis, Robb earned his MPH and PhD from Johns Hopkins University and worked over thirty years as a public health professional, including two decades working with rural communities in French-speaking West Africa and in India. His focus was on maternal and child health, child nutrition, and food security.

Coming back to the USA, Robb served as Impact and Innovation Officer at the Yolo Food Bank, and with the Healthy Davis Together initiative, focused on testing and vaccination for underserved populations. Robb also served on Davis's downtown parking task force, the Bicycle Advisory Commission, the Neighborhood Court program through the University of California Davis, and the Yolo Conflict Resolution Center. For the University of California Davis, Robb has served as international student advisor, Director of Intercultural Learning in Global Affairs, and at the Center for Student Involvement.