Creativity and Reinvention: Christi Black Davis and Taryn Thru-U

It’s the final take in the Creativity+ Reinvention speaker series exploring the vast and varied perspectives of reinvention within the creative process. Reinvention challenges us to defy preconceived notions, to know something well enough to break it apart and build it back up, or to find an alternate perspective richer in curiosity, creativity, and criticism.

Christi Black-Davis is a respected business executive, communications consultant, and civic leader. In her role as executive vice president at Edelman, the world’s largest and privately-held communications marketing agency, Christi consults to private and public sector clients, with an emphasis on public affairs, marketing, and consumer education. Christi has a strong commitment to community service, and has served as a volunteer, board member, and board chair for several nonprofits over the years. Her leadership roles included serving as 2015 board chair of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce; serving two terms as president of the American River Parkway Foundation; and serving as the inaugural president of the FamiliesFirst Foundation.

Johnathan Cameron, a.k.a.Taryn Thru-U, has been performing in drag for 15 years. He does not use the term Female Impersonator do to the fact that he is built like a football player. He usually refers to himself as the “Linebacker in Drag”. Johnathan, graduated from CSU, Sacramento with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Dance and danced professionally in the region with Dale Scholl Dance/Art for 10 years before retiring. To fill the void of not performing on a stage, Johnathan became “Taryn” and found a new enjoyment of performing in the Art of Drag. Taking a mixture of theatrics, dance, comedy and passion, Taryn Thru-U has become a local celebrity in the Sacramento LGBTQ community.