Shona Davis was elected to the Quilcene school board alongside Paul Mahan in 2017. On Wednesday night, Sept. 18, Davis was appointed, by a vote of 3-1, to replace Mahan after he resigned his seat in August.

Davis will complete Mahan’s term, which runs through November 2025.

Her appointment marks the third time that the 60-year-old has held a seat on the Quilcene school board. Davis was first elected in 2002. In 2015, she lost a re-election bid to Mark Apeland. Davis returned to the board after running uncontested in 2017. She resigned in March 2019 to focus on a new job with Security Services Northwest.

At the Sept. 18 board meeting, Davis was among three people, including Anne Bessey and Dana Nixon, who had applied to fill the Position 5 vacancy. The board voted after interviewing each applicant separately and deliberating in executive session, with board member Viviann Kuehl casting the lone vote for Bessey.

Asked what her priorities would be if appointed, Davis said “maintaining a good staff,” “retaining our students,” “raising test scores,” “keeping staff and kids safe,” and, above all, fostering open communication.

“Communication with the community, communication with staff,” Davis said. “School board to staff, administration to staff, back and forth, and that they feel like they can come to you and voice their opinions and that you’ll listen, whether you agree with them or not.”

Superintendent Ron Moag swore Davis in immediately after the vote, allowing Davis to take her seat the same night.

Separately, no action was taken by the school board on the resolution to affirm that biological males should not participate in biological females’ sports.