We take great pride in knowing that Davis is California’s ultimate college town. With the Davis Chamber of Commerce celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, I’d like to look back at how the city and the university have found constructive ways to work together for our broader community.

Our strong partnership with the city of Davis distinguishes us from many college towns. Since 2017, we’ve improved our collaboration with the city, being more open to finding common ground on matters of mutual interest and finding solutions during challenging times. That commitment endures today, and like most commitments, it takes good communication and teamwork.

Our relationship goes back to 1908, just three years after the Davis Chamber of Commerce was founded. Local business leaders petitioned the state to build a new agricultural school in Davis.

That request helped establish the University Farm School, which admitted just 18 students in its first class. Back then, Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States, and Davis had fewer than 1,000 residents. UC Davis was established as an independent campus in 1959, a vision made possible by the dream of these community leaders in the early 1900s.

Over the decades, we’ve emerged from those humble beginnings as a research powerhouse that now serves over 40,000 students and consistently ranks among the top 10 nationally for public universities.

We’ve been recognized as the greenest campus in the country for nine years running. UC Davis was also named the nation’s top school for veterinary science once again this year. And more than a century after the University Farm was founded, we are proud that we’ve been ranked number one for agriculture for many years running.

Through all the ups and downs over the decades, we’ve shown what’s possible through the sturdiest of town-gown links. We’ve made concerted efforts to dedicate resources to housing, transportation and public safety improvements. Apartment buildings at The Green at West Village and Orchard Park are part of the most ambitious housing construction program in UC Davis history. These developments increased access to affordable student housing, a longstanding issue for both the campus community and community leaders.

UC Davis and the city of Davis also launched a shared e-bike and e-scooter program called Spin, with a goal to reduce vehicle trips in the community while improving connections between the campus, downtown Davis and the rest of the city. And in February of 2024, the city and UC Davis celebrated the 100 millionth Unitrans rider since the inception of this service 56 years ago.

We’ve also come together during some of the toughest times, uniting our community when it needed it most. Through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we stood strong and emerged as a model of public health with Healthy Davis Together. We also pushed back against discrimination in our ongoing Hate-Free Together initiative.

In 2019, UC Davis hosted the memorial service for Davis Police Department Officer Natalie Corona, who was killed while serving our community. More than 7,000 law enforcement officers and others filled the ARC Pavilion on campus to mourn her loss and honor her family for her service.

Just two years ago, David Breaux and Karim Abou Najm were killed and Kimberlee Guillory seriously injured. Last November, the city unveiled “Fiat Lux,” a work of art by Nicole Beck that was installed in Sycamore Park to commemorate Karim, a UC Davis student who was just weeks from graduating. The city also named the bike path in that park after Karim. We are grateful for how the city pulled the community together to honor Karim, and David, during such a tragic time in our shared history.

Most recently, regarding the shooting that occurred in Community Park on Picnic Day, the university and city were in constant communication throughout the day. We are now working collaboratively to review off-campus Picnic Day practices geared toward a safer, smoother, but still celebratory event for our entire community. We are committed to making next year’s Picnic Day safer, just as we are committed to each other and our community.

Turning to the month of May, we look forward to several celebrations. On campus we’ll welcome transfer students and their families for Aggie Day and commemorate Bike Month, Pride Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, and Asian American and Pacific Islander Month. Of course, we’ll also enjoy the Whole Earth Festival, an annual student-run event that will bring thousands of visitors to town over Mother’s Day weekend.

In good times, like commemorating the 120th anniversary of the Davis Chamber of Commerce, the university and city come together to celebrate. When difficult circumstances arise, our instinct is to work together to find solutions and demonstrate what collaboration looks like.

I’m grateful for the partnership we have with the city. We have worked hard to create a solid foundation of trust and shared values to build upon.