Seventh in a series of profiles of those honored as The Best of Reston.
Motherly involvement in her children's activities kept her away from what would become more than a hobby; until she moved to Reston.
Nancy Davis' life trip took her from Illinois, where she grew up; through Indiana, where she went to school; to Michigan, where she met her husband; Nebraska, where she lived; White Plains, N.Y., where her children grew up; and finally to Reston, where she has lived since 1971.
She immediately became involved in the community and looked at the different organizations she could join. She decided on Reston Garden Club, founded only a year before Davis moved to Reston. Davis learned the Garden Club was planning to make a wildflower trail. The club then planned the trail, planted it and maintained it for several years before handing it over to Reston Association. "The Garden Club has been an avenue for city beautification for 35 years," said Davis, "I am happy to have been an active participant for 34 of those."
FOR HER ACTIVE ROLE in the Reston community in the past 34 years, Davis was honored with the 2005 Best of Reston Award, for "Leading by Lifelong Example."
Davis's involvement with the natural areas in the Reston community did not stop with the Garden Club. She took part in RA's Natural Areas Advisory Committee, which did much of the work on Reston's many pathways and trails. Other work of the committee included the creation of a herbarium, where a number of leaves from plants native to Reston were labeled. In an effort to help Restonians understand and appreciate the community's open space, the committee cut trails through the 70 acres that occupy the nature center, and published guides for those and two other trails in Reston.
"She's a remarkable person first and foremost," said Larry Butler, the director of parks and recreation for the RA. He added Davis is a supporter of natural environment, and someone who leads by example, as an "avid" native plant gardener. "She is a model for a resident who practices what she preaches," said Butler.
After her youngest child moved out, Davis developed "empty-nest syndrome." This drove Davis to go back to school. She earned a master's degree in biology from George Mason University, which led to her volunteer work with the National Wildlife Federation. As a teacher naturalist, Davis took groups of school children on walks through the trails.
However, Davis's previous work in Reston extends beyond nature. Davis said she was excited about a possibility of a community center in Reston, so she joined the task force working on approvals from the county and Reston residents. Davis then joined the Reston Community Center Board of Governors, and helped select the RCC's first director, Dan Weimer. As a member of the board, she helped plan the grand opening of RCC in 1979. Davis served on the board for nine years, and witnessed the creation and development of its first programs.
"She had significant influence on the policies and philosophies the RCC would develop," said Leila Gordon, the director of performing and fine arts at the RCC. Davis linked the RCC with the Reston Garden Club to organize The Very Special Arts Festival.
Volunteers from the Garden Club help elementary-school students to create a variety of floral arrangements, which they can take home if they want to. Gordon said the festival is always a profitable and beautiful experience for the children.
Gordon called Davis a warm and beautiful human being. "She is a model of how you inspire to motivate volunteers," said Gordon.
THE AMERICAN YOUTH Foundation also benefited from Davis's involvement. She participated in AYF activities as a camper, leader, conference participant and as a long-time member of the advisory committee, and she spent 10 years on the staff of the International Leadership Conference. In 1990, Davis and her late husband, Hart, arranged for six students from Kazakhstan to be hosted by families in Reston. The five-week trip for the Kazakhstanis was intended to expose them to the American culture and way of living. During the trip, the six students visited Washington, D.C., Boston, New Hampshire and a farm in Pennsylvania, among other places. Five of the six have returned to Reston to visit their host families, four of them went to universities in the United States, one of whom earned a master's degree in international relations from Harvard University. "So I think he will some day become the president of Kazakhstan," said Davis, impressed with the student's achievement.
DAVIS CONTINUES to be active in the Reston community. Through the Reston Museum she leads walks through the different environments the Reston community has to offer. The monthly walks seek new areas of Reston to be discovered, pathways and nature trails, wetlands, Civil War fields, the old town of Wiehle, and the new Reston Town Center. She also teaches two English classes for speakers of other languages at the Washington Plaza Church. "I have a saying that is important to people who are getting older like me," said Davis, "keep moving, keep learning, keep laughing, keep loving and keep serving." As far as the Best of Reston award, Davis said she was embarrassed and humbled. "There are so many other people in Reston who do wonderful things," she said, "I never considered myself in that category."