Lt. Col. Thomas S. Davis is inducted into the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame

April 26, 2019

Thomas Davis is originally from Des Moines, IA. He graduated from Allen Memorial School of Nursing in 1973 and went on to serve in the United States Air Force and retired with the rank of Lt. Col. He was trained by the Air Force to be a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist and received the Agatha Hodgins Award for Excellence upon his graduation. In addition, he received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa, a master’s degree in nurse anesthesia education from Gonzaga University, and is currently in the process of earning a DNAP from Midwestern University in Arizona.

Following his time in the Air Force, Tom was a faculty member of the University of Kansas for five years, and while there he developed and implemented the nation’s first distance education program for nurse anesthesia. Utilizing his experience both personally and in the military, he served as Chief Nurse Anesthetist at two major organizations, including Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MA.

Tom currently is focused on leadership development for nurses, including nurse anesthetists. He writes a weekly leadership blog and published a book – Leader Reader 1, Authentic Lessons in Leadership. He conducts workshops and webinars that teach values-based leadership skills to those interested in creating a preferred workplace. He maintains a busy speaking schedule and frequently gives talks at state nurse anesthesia meetings and works with student groups.

Tom is an active member of his community and believes that true healthcare reform begins with individual fitness. He leads by example and participates in activities such as marathon running, triathlons, hiking and cycling. He plans to one day ride coast to coast.

Tom has brought pride to Allen College and has made outstanding contributions not only to the healthcare profession, but to his community and beyond. Click here to see Tom’s blog on his trip to Iowa and time at Allen College.