50 Leading Women: André Davidson

In honor and celebration of our Women’s Division‘s 50th Anniversary, we will be spotlighting 50 Leading Women making an impact, raising their voice, and leading the next generation of women in the workforce and Plano community.

Introducing, André Davidson. André Davidson has a long and distinguished history of leadership and mentoring in the community. In the spring of 2010, she was elected to the Plano City Council to complete the unexpired term of Mabrie Jackson who resigned to run for state office. In May of 2011, she was re-elected and served on City Council to May 2015. André served as program director of Leadership Plano, a leadership development program of the Plano Chamber of Commerce, for ten years from 1998 to 2005 and 2011 to 2014.  She is a Class 10 program graduate and a past chair of the Leadership Plano Executive Board.

In 2005, she was honored as Plano’s Citizen of the Year. In September 2013 André received the Athena Leadership Award, which recognizes professional excellence, community service and assistance to other women in attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills. She was one of three leadership program executives in the nation in 2012 to receive the prestigious “Preceptor’s Award” presented by the Association of Leadership Programs. The award recognizes program directors that set a higher standard of excellence for leadership programs and their graduates.

André has served on numerous nonprofit boards and is past chair of the Plano ISD Education Foundation, Volunteer Center of Collin County, Plano Youth Leadership, the Medical City Plano Board of Trustees and was the founding director of the Collin Classic Bicycle Ride. She currently serves as chair of Medical City Plano’s Community Advisory Council. She and her husband, Warren, have two adult children and five grandchildren.

1. Describe your leadership style and how you lead others.

I try to be collaborative when I’m in a leadership position.  My goal is to utilize the strengths of each member of the team to produce the best result.

2. What are the most important decisions you make as a leader?

The most important decision I make as a leader is creating a team of balanced skills.  It’s important to have a mixture of creative, insightful individuals along detail-oriented individuals and committed, dependable people willing to do whatever is needed to produce the best work.  Everyone has an important role to play.

3. What has been one of your biggest joys as a leader?

There were two. The first was the success of the Collin Classic Bicycle Rally.  I was the first ride director of the event and was the driving force for the event in various roles for 10 years.  When we started planning the event as a major fundraiser for the Volunteer Center of Plano, none of us had been involved with a bicycle event, so we were starting from ground zero.  Yet, each year it drew about 3000 cyclists and was considered one of the best cycling events in Texas.  The second was serving as the Leadership Plano program director.  I gained so much when I was a participant I wanted to share what I had learned with others, and I loved sharing my enthusiasm for the program each year.  It was an honor to have the opportunity to help citizens find their passion and how they could contribute to their community.  It was exciting and rewarding to see them get energized during the sessions as they learned new things about the city in which they lived and what makes Plano a “City of Excellence.”

4. What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?

Be sure you ask for input from everyone in the group, especially the quiet ones.  They are often the most creative thinkers and have the best ideas, yet are often overlooked.

5. What advice can you give to the next generation of female leaders? 

Whatever the task or assignment, surround yourself with people with different leadership styles and personalities and diverse skills. This is critical to build the most successful teams.

6. Who inspired you and why?

Several former leaders in Plano had a tremendous impact on me.  David McCall, who was the Leadership Plano program director when I went through the program, was my greatest inspiration.  He taught me so much about leadership, our community and myself.  He is the reason I wanted to be director of Leadership Plano and do whatever I could to insure the continuation of the program and its stellar reputation.  Mary Jo Dean also serve as a mentor and friend.  She encouraged me to do things I did not realize I was capable of, and as a result, I accomplished things I never dreamed I could do.

7. What do you want to be remembered for? 

Making a difference somewhere and having a positive impact on my community.