Aces of Trades: Leondra Davis supports parents in recovery with the goal of reuniting families
COSHOCTON – She had a dream – but discovered something better.
“As a child I was inquisitive and enjoyed playing outside and exploring,” remembered Leondra Davis. “I can’t say I dreamt of doing much, but I strongly desired to always be a lawyer. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I figured I wanted to be a family court judge.”
Today, Davis is family dependency treatment court coordinator for Coshocton Juvenile Court.
“This is a specialized docket program through the Ohio Supreme Court,” she explained, “that works to support families with open children’s services cases that have had their children removed and substance use is a concern. The program is designed to support parents on their journey of recovery and work towards reunification of the family unit.”
Davis grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, graduated from high school there, then graduated from the University of Minnesota, Morris with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
“I didn’t have a true idea of what family court was about,” she said, “until I participated in an internship my senior year of college with legal aid of South Minneapolis. During this internship I helped with the juvenile law project. I attended several hearings, spoke with judges and other attorneys. I learned of the many ways I could be a part of helping families. I don’t know where my interest began. As long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. When I learned what lawyers did, I realized I was most interested in family law.”
Davis began her career working with preschool-aged children.
“When my family moved to Ohio, I worked at Rainbow Childcare Center,” she said. “When that center closed, I became a contracted worker with Family P.A.C.T. where I monitored visits for families and eventually became a court-approved mediator.”
Davis joined Coshocton Juvenile Court in 2018 as the quality improvement coordinator, initially to help families with children exposed to or affected by parental substance use and/or fetal alcohol syndrome. In time, she became the family dependency treatment court coordinator.
“Leondra is the type of person that sets the bar high,” assessed Heather Newell, the family services specialist at Juvenile Court. “I’m always amazed at her ability to meet families where they are and really address the tough issues in order to make change. At the same time, she creates a space for families to share and identify their own strengths and weaknesses. Leondra is truly an asset to our community.”
“I’ve learned the support I provide to the families comes naturally for me,” Davis responded. “I enjoy what I do and it’s not like work. I believe what I do is from the heart, and I hope the families I come in contact with feel that and believe that as well.
“My family used to ask me if I regretted not going on to law school like I originally planned,” she summed. “I don’t, and never have. When I went on with other life choices I did it with a pure heart and mind. I thought if it was meant for me to attend law school then the opportunity would present itself again. Since that time my career path has allowed me to do all the things I envisioned doing, but without the title of lawyer. It has also allowed me to do things I never imagined or dreamed of. What I do now is a dream for me.”
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at ctnews@coshoctontribune.com.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Aces of Trades: 'What I do now is a dream for me'
