08/16/2026
We are thrilled to welcome Hasan Davis to the James Baker Hall Foundation Board!
Hasan is an author, artist, educator, advocate, speaker, and self-described Hope Dealer whose life and work are rooted in transformation, resilience, and the power of possibility.
For more than 30 years, Hasan has inspired youth and adult audiences across the nation and around the world, weaving his own journey—from a childhood marked by adversity and involvement in the juvenile justice system to earning his B.A. from Berea College and his Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law—into a powerful message of hope. Through humor and honesty, he reminds others that adversity does not define their future and that they have the power to find their next success.
Hasan has dedicated his career to education, juvenile justice, and the arts. He served as Kentucky’s fifth Commissioner of Juvenile Justice and played an instrumental role in advancing juvenile justice reform throughout the Commonwealth. He is also an accomplished teaching and touring artist, Chautauqua Actor/Scholar, and author of Written Off, The Journey of York, Human Writes, and The Race, among other works.
Through everything he does, Hasan is passionate about bringing H.O.P.E.—Humanity, Optimism, Perspective, and Empathy—into the work of building and rebuilding our communities.
We are honored to have Hasan bring his experience, creativity, passion, and commitment to hope to the James Baker Hall Foundation.
Please join us in welcoming Hasan Davis to the Board!
