Davidson, who was announced as the next FDMS principal on Thursday, said he plans to meet with every single staff member at the school.

“One of the first things I am going to do is schedule individualized meetings with 120-plus staff members,” he said. “Just so I can get a feel of what they are thinking and what they have been through.”

Davidson, a Fort Dodge native, will replace Ryan Flaherty as principal beginning next fall. His hire will be approved by the FDCSD board at a future meeting.

“I’m excited to welcome Mr. Davidson back to the Fort Dodge family,” said Dr. Jesse Ulrich, FDCSD superintendent. “His positive experience as an administrator, his love for kids, and his passion to make Fort Dodge Middle School the best place for kids to learn and grow align with the characteristics we were looking for and need in our next middle school principal.”

Davidson will work in a building with about 1,100 students.

“I love being an educational leader, working with kids, teachers and parents,” Davidson said. “That’s what it’s all about. There’s a lot of hats you wear as an administrator and I relish that. I definitely don’t take it for granted. It’s a privilege to be given an opportunity to be in a leadership role, especially in a school the size of Fort Dodge and the size of that middle school building.”

Davidson is a 1995 St. Edmond High School graduate. He currently serves as the elementary principal for the Pocahontas Area Community School District.

Building relationships with not only staff, but students and family, will be a focus.

“The challenge in a building that size, the No. 1 priority, has to be to build relationships with kids and not only kids, but families,” he said. “Kids are coming from different home lives, different backgrounds. What’s normal in a school setting might not be normal in their home. So it’s important to figure out what makes a kid tick or an adult tick. What’s going to make them successful. It’s important that those students are being dropped off in a safe setting and a place that’s going to help them be as successful as they possibly can throughout their lives.”

Davidson started his education career in the Fort Dodge Community School District.

“I was a graduate of UNI (University of Northern Iowa), graduated December of 2000,” Davidson said. “It was kind of a strange deal, but I was able to jump on board right away as a long-term sub at Fair Oaks in 2001.”

He added, “Dr. (Phil) Wormsley reached out, gave me an opportunity, which was so appreciated. It was a great fit for me right out of the chute. I had so many good people I really respect that brought me in.”

Davidson said he appreciates the influences he had while in Fort Dodge.

“When I look back at my time working under Dr. Wormsley and Gary Reiners, who was middle school principal at Phillips School where I had most of my years of experience there — Gary was such a influential person for me. He really helped guide me to where I am today. For me to be able to say I am in the same chair as Gary is pretty cool because he had a lot to do with where I am at today.”

An extensive coaching background is included in Davis’s resume.

“I have coached at the varsity and assistant level for high school baseball,” he said. “Varsity assistant in Fort Dodge for basketball. When I was a teacher there I was a middle school football coach, basketball coach. Five years of being head baseball coach at St. Edmond. When we moved to Pocahontas, I coached middle school baseball and basketball.”

This summer will be his fifth year as the co-head varsity baseball coach in Pocahontas.

Coaching, he said, translates well inside the walls of a school.

“Being a coach to kids — as a leader you need to be up front,” Davidson said. “You have to be someone people are willing to follow. I think, because of my mentors, I have helped develop some of those characteristics to help me be an effective educational leader. People are willing to trust me and follow me and that’s part of being able to lead successfully.”

The Fort Dodge community is one with a lot of pride, he said.

“I know the educators in Fort Dodge are top notch,” Davidson said. “I know the community as a whole has so much pride. The pride in not only what they are doing as a school, but how they treat kids, their expectations for kids. I don’t think people, unless you live in Fort Dodge, really understand it. There’s so much passion and so much pride in that community and school district. It’s a special place to be able to work and I can’t wait to be back and be a Dodger again.”