After unprecedented winter storms ravaged large parts of Texas in February, Florida native Aaron Davis — always one to volunteer his time for those in need — found himself in the thick of the devastation in Harper, Texas, a decision that led eventually to national coverage of his selfless deeds.
“The weight of snow and ice on trees, roofs, and structures — it was incredibly similar to a hurricane, which I’m accustomed to preparing for on a regular basis, being from Florida,” he said. “This was the equivalent of a week-long hurricane, mixed with Arctic temperatures, and no power.”
Aptly nicknamed the “Tampa Chainsaw Man,” Davis, who is the CEO of AMD Enterprises, a conglomerate of title business ventures, including Florida Agency Network and Premier Data Services, was ready to help in the disaster relief efforts in Texas.
“What I witnessed in Harper the day after I arrived was amazing,” he said. “Truckloads of food and supplies arriving, people from neighboring towns showing up to help their neighbors, whether to offer a shower, help cut tree limbs, donate funds, and do whatever was needed to help.”
And how did Davis end up in Harper? He wanted to go somewhere he could be of use and even told his job he was “taking a month off” to volunteer in Texas.
Davis’ girlfriend lives in Austin, and he flew to the city following a pipe bursting in her home due to the winter storms. Once she was secure with friends and family helping, as Davis explained, he started looking for some additional opportunities in the area to volunteer. That’s when he was led to Lakeway Church, near Lake Travis in the Austin area.
“They were collecting water, firewood, food, and other supplies,” he said. “I arrived at the church Saturday morning in a rental truck, wearing some work clothes and a Tampa Bay Buccaneers hat. Sam McGee, a volunteer associated with the church and coordinating the collection efforts, asked if I’d be willing to drive to Harper to assist in cutting some trees that had fallen, and be feet on the ground to assess the damage and needs of the community, and communicate that back to Lakeway so they can send supplies and labor.”
Davis said Harper had been identified by some of the members of the church as a town in need, as most of the residents were going on eight straight days of no power — and with little support, due to the town being so remote.
More than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power following the winter storms that hit Texas between February 13 and 17. Demand for electricity in Texas hit a record of 69,150 megawatts on February 14 — 3,200 megawatts higher than the previous record set in January 2018, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
Water service was disrupted for more than 12 million people due to pipes freezing and bursting, with Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros saying that the city had lost more than 325 million gallons of water due to burst pipes by February 18.
But the Lakeway Church task group, with Davis included, immediately made an impact in Harper, which sits two hours away from Austin. Davis started by gathering chainsaws so that people could clear the limbs that fell. Then he started a GoFundMe to support the town. By April, the GoFundMe had raised around $70,000 for those in Harper in need. Plus, Davis himself donated supplies to Lakeway Church, wrote the church a $10,000 check, and gave church officials $1,000 in cash.
Davis’ decision to support Harper also directly led to other donations pouring in to help the city. People Magazine caught wind of his efforts and interviewed him, which led to a more national audience chipping in to grow the GoFundMe.
“I just felt incredibly guilty sitting down in Tampa, Florida, in the sun – shine watching the rest of the country suffer,” Davis told People. “I’ve weathered many storms in my life in Florida, the hurricane capital of the world. I just try to step up and do what I can.
When officials at the American Land Title Association got word of Davis’ involvement in Harper, the ALTA Good Deeds Foundation donated $5,000 toward the effort.
Other industry peers, title owners, underwriters, coworkers, and friends all donated toward the effort in Harper, Davis said. Now CEO of the title company, Davis’ mother, Gail Calhoun, is who started Hillsborough Title in Plant City, Florida, in 1984. Davis grew up in the business, performing every role, he said, ultimately purchasing the company from Calhoun in September 2008.
“From there, we grew a single office operation into the Florida Agency Network, which consists of numerous brands and 40-plus offices statewide,” he said. “We joined ALTA years ago and love the value they bring to us, the title agents. We also appreciate their continuous efforts to educate the greater mortgage and real estate industry of the important role title agents play in the homeownership process.”
Looking back at his time volunteering in Texas, Davis said, “It was truly a humbling experience and one I will never forget.”
