Meet Your Neighbor: Ranata Davis Joins Foxcroft as Dean of Inclusive Excellence
Written by Kaitlin Hill | Photo by Michael Butcher
With the 2024-25 school year already underway, Ranata Davis is settling in as the new dean of inclusive excellence at Foxcroft. She brings with her 20 years of experience, a global perspective, and an undeniable enthusiasm for her profession. Below, she shares her reflections on her career, her ambitions for the job, and what she is enjoying most about the move to Middleburg.
ML: Tell us about yourself! How did you get into the education field?
RD: I am a Southern girl, born and raised in South Carolina. I come from a family of educators, so that has a lot to do with the path I’ve taken in education and how I move in this world professionally. My mom was a kindergarten teacher, my dad was a counselor, and my grandmother was an elementary school counselor. That is a part of my legacy and what drives me as an educator.
ML: Before taking the position at Foxcroft, where did your career lead you?
RD: I was a tennis player. Tennis has taken me a lot of places as a high school and collegiate athlete, and then going on to coach in a couple places. I’ve spent time in Maryland, where my career started in Prince George’s County as a PE teacher. Then I relocated to Arizona and spent 12 years there. That’s where I had time to develop my leadership skills, as an athletic director and assistant principal.
ML: Most recently you were working in Doha, Qatar. What brought you there?
RD: I worked for the Qatar Foundation. I started out as a physical education teacher, and then I became a grade level leader, overseeing creativity, activities, and service for our 11th- and 12th-grade students. In the last two years, I moved into the realm of professional development, which opened up a new door in education for me.
ML: So how did you get from Doha to Middleburg?
RD: It all started with a LinkedIn post. It wasn’t even in my feed, but someone had liked a post about a job opening for a dean of inclusive excellence. The title alone made me curious. In the last couple of years, I’ve been spending a lot of time in my work around the idea of belonging, culturally responsive practices, and equity. I went through the job description and it was a combination of everything I’ve done in my career. I thought, “Oh, I can do this.”
ML: How are you settling in?
From the moment I walked on the campus, I felt like this was the place. Even riding through Middleburg and coming up through Route 50, it reminded me of my small hometown of York in South Carolina. Then I saw the campus, the buildings, the horses, the deer and little foxes; I got to meet the people and I was like, “I want to be here.”
I moved in on campus the first week of July. My husband, Leslie, is with me and we’ve been able to make the house really feel like home. I think the other thing that has really contributed to us settling in is the people. I don’t think I’ve ever been around people that are so genuinely nice, and want to engage and support my transition into the role.
ML: Have you found some favorite spots in Middleburg?
RD: My husband and I are finding time to explore the community. I had Thaiverse last week. There’s the little ice cream shop, [Scruffy’s,] with the creamiest ice cream I have ever had in my life. Then we’ve been to Lost Barrel, Boxwood, and I love the breweries and wineries. Also, I love to understand the process, so if there’s a tour attached to it, that makes me happy. I also love that everyone waves here as you pass.
ML: Turning back to work, what are your goals for the new role?
RD: I hope I can bring creativity to the job first, and look at what programs and practices I can bring in to contribute to that. I do have some early ideas — one of them is called The Human Library. It’s an opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to come together and ask questions without judgment. I think that would be an opportunity to bring in the Middleburg community, too. When it comes to the curriculum, I would love to see how we’re being inclusive, ensuring that the girls see themselves and see others within that curriculum to support that belonging aspect.
This is my 20th school year, so I feel like that is a big number. It’s also my first year being in an independent, all-girls school, and I’m eager to see what that looks like. What are the challenges that need to be faced in an independent school? I like to be a problem solver and come up with creative ways to address challenges.
ML: Any final thoughts? What should our readers know about you?
RD: I am very passionate about traveling. Something that came with being in Doha was being able to visit a little over 30 countries in the last six years. I am so thankful for my travel experiences because they allowed me to see beyond what’s presented in the media and engage with the local populations. It just brings joy to my heart to be able to engage with people from other nationalities and other cultures that have different beliefs from me. ML
Published in the September 2024 issue of Middleburg Life.