Jodi Davis is the new general manager for the BOS Center, but already a familiar name to many, having been with the building for more than 28 years. She began her career as a teenager working as a ticket seller in the box office for the former Prairie Capital Convention Center. Davis went on to hold a variety of other positions over the years before becoming the assistant general manager in 2014.
Last fall, general manager Brian Oaks announced he would be departing at the end of 2021 to take a job in Arkansas with the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. The Springfield Metropolitan Exposition and Auditorium Authority board announced at its Jan. 19 board meeting that Davis had been chosen to succeed Oaks.
“I am so honored and grateful that the SMEAA Board has chosen me as the next general manager. This building has become a second home to me over the years,” said Davis in a written statement. She noted that she even got engaged in the main hall when her now-husband surprised her by dressing up as Santa Claus and proposing during a Friend-in-Deed drive-thru event.
Davis said, “I have a deeply vested interest in securing the future of the BOS Center. I promise to act in the best interests of our community and look forward to serving in this extended capacity.”
