Felicia Davis

Felicia Davis serves as the Commissioner of the Department of Buildings for the City of Chicago. Appointed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel in late December 2013, she was confirmed by the full City Council on January 15, 2014. The Department of Buildings is a 285-person department with an annual budget of $37 million. The Department of Buildings plays a vital role in public safety and neighborhood protection, and it has the important responsibility to review plans and issue permits efficiently to facilitate new development, revitalize neighborhoods, create new jobs, and expand economic activity. The Department enforces the building code by reviewing and issuing permits for construction projects, performing inspections of buildings under construction as well as annual inspections of systems and structures. Ms. Davis first joined Mayor Emanuel’s administration in May 2011 as his First Deputy Chief of Staff and lead public safety policy advisor. In this role, she led the City’s Public Safety portfolio and the development of a comprehensive and strategic public safety agenda, promoting accountability, dialogue and cooperation among diverse stakeholders, and building support for initiatives and policies that reduce violence and support community stabilization. As the City of Chicago prepared for the historic NATO Summit in 2012, Ms. Davis steered weekly working groups for all City departments and sister agencies crucial to the overall operation and execution of the NATO Summit, including: Operations, Transportation, Procurement, Budget, Legal, Logistics, Communications, Federal and Local Partner Support, Community and Business Leaders. Prior to joining Mayor Emanuel’s Administration, Ms. Davis was the Vice President of Administration and Operations at Kendall College, where she oversaw the College's operations and administration. Ms. Davis previously served the Chicago Police Department, with distinction, for 10 years. During her tenure at CPD, she worked in many roles, completing her law enforcement career as a Detective in the Department’s Violent Crimes division, where she also oversaw the Division’s Community Policing Strategies. Ms. Davis is a Chicago native and life-long resident of the City’s South Side, where she resides with her family.