At Kingston Elementary School, the principal's office is where Nancy Davenport's books live -- everything from children's literature to professional development titles. They say almost as much about her as her absence.

Davenport ('71) herself is on the move -- visiting, conferring, patrolling, watching, mentoring -- in a classroom or hallway nearby, where teachers and students of this Virginia Beach school have learned to look for her instead.

"I'm not really an office person," says Davenport, (known as Dr. D.), "so I'm more
out in the building. I just want them to know I'm here."

Being available to students and educators and guiding their learning and development has been a mission for Davenport for more than 30 years. Since 1994, she's been principal of Kingston Elementary School, following five years as assistant principal. Her leadership in the classroom has resulted in her election to the National Association of Elementary School Principals Board of Directors. She represents principals from Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.

As a member of the board, Davenport is a voice for principals and helps to support them through staff development opportunities and mentoring. She is a mentor today to administrators in Florida, New York and Rhode Island. It's a role she takes very seriously. "I believe firmly in providing professional development, networking and support to teachers and principals so they can provide the very best education possible for all children," she says.

Thomas Shortt, executive director of the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals, says that Davenport's recognition by NAESP is well deserved. "Dr. Davenport has distinguished herself as a principal leader in Virginia and throughout the country," he says. "Many principals will benefit from her success as a principal as well as her leadership expertise."

For Davenport, leadership comes naturally and it's what drives her every day. "I see my job as an instructional leader in the classroom, and that was my original motivation to become an administrator," she says. "The joy of seeing quality instruction delivered to students is motivating and keeps me in it. I could have retired, but I've chosen not to because I love it."

Davenport's career in teaching began in 1971 after she earned her B.S. from Madison College. From 1978 to 1986, she worked as a reading specialist. She holds both an M.S. and C.A.S. from Old Dominion University and an Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University. "Madison gave me a credible foundation for teacher education," says Davenport. "There's no doubt about that." Her son, Sean, is a 1993 JMU graduate.

Davenport's election to the NAESP board is the latest in a string of honors. She has held leadership positions in the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals and was appointed to the Advisory Board for Teacher Education and Licensure for the Virginia Board of Education for 2002-05.

The immediate rewards of teaching are more important to Davenport than the accolades, and she wishes the former would attract more people into the profession, especially in the elementary grades. "There is a lot of joy in working with children. I often get parents calling to compliment us on how well their children are doing," she says. "You just get warm fuzzies that they started off in your school and got a good foundation. This is where it starts."         

-- Liz Cerami Taylor ('92)