Shaping tomorrow’s leaders through community impact 

In honor of National Volunteer Month this April, Dallas ISD celebrates another year of successfully building relationships and creating meaningful engagement with the district’s volunteers and partners. And one of the people responsible for building these relationships is Tonya Mayberry-Davis.

Mayberry-Davis, a coordinator in Partnerships and Volunteer Engagement, supports the district’s efforts to impact student achievement and success.   

“It is inspiring to see great district programs come to fruition knowing that they benefit the students,” she said.  

Mayberry-Davis has always envisioned a career rooted in community impact. Although both of her parents were educators, she didn’t originally intend to work in education herself—but she was deeply inspired by the impact they made in their community.  

“I saw my parents volunteering and giving back, whether it was with a neighbor or the respective organizations they were a part of,” Mayberry-Davis said. “Seeing them work in volunteerism within the community and learning the importance of giving back made an impression on me.” 

Her journey began at the African American Museum of Dallas, where she was an ExxonMobil intern during college. This led to a full-time position in the development office.  

Mayberry-Davis went on to work at the University of Dallas, where she managed fundraising and community programming, creating scholarships for students.   

“The college collaborated with Partners in Excellence, creating funding for students. I was able to see the first student of this program receive a scholarship and attend the University of Dallas,” she said.

Mayberry-Davis eventually found her way to Dallas ISD, first serving as a community liaison at Amelia Earhart Elementary School and later joining Volunteer and Partnerships Services where she now puts her passion to use making a broader impact across the district. 

For Mayberry-Davis, the MLK Jr. Oratory Competition is one of her most impactful partnerships, inspired by the participation from students and volunteers.  

Each year, Dallas ISD partners with the global law firm, Foley and Lardner LLP, to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to recognize the writing and public speaking skills of elementary school students.

“We have many faculty sponsors that are a part of the event each year,” Mayberry-Davis said. “For example, Ms. Betty Glover from Clara Oliver Elementary School has been with the district for 60 years and has volunteered with the competition for 30 years.”   

Mayberry-Davis plays a key role in supporting the firm and organizing on behalf of the district. She also collaborates  with her colleagues in managing other impactful partnerships and hundreds of volunteers, who collectively donate thousands of hours to benefit students. 

“We are helping to build bridges and make connections for our students. We are bringing social capital to the students through these partnerships,” said Candace Sledge, director of Partnerships and Volunteer Engagement. “It brings me joy knowing we are impacting the students and the communities that affect them.”  

This year alone, volunteers have accumulated 287,000 volunteer hours—a value of over $4 million dollars in time donated supporting the district.  

“It is great to be able to have the opportunity to tell our story and support the students’ needs from a district perspective,” Mayberry-Davis said.