Through tragedy, the wife of the company president found herself at the helm of an engineering firm she never planned to lead. A new scholarship for women in engineering honors her leadership and legacy.
In 1973, Jody Davidson Appell’s life changed in an instant. Her husband, David Davidson Sr., president of C.S. Davidson, died suddenly in his early 50s after a massive heart attack. He left behind not only a grieving widow and three children but an engineering firm without a leader.
Jody had no background in engineering or business management, but what she lacked in formal training she had gleaned from decades of active community leadership. She stepped in as chair and treasurer of the board of C.S. Davidson to stabilize the civil engineering firm and ensure its future. What followed was a period of growth for the company and the Davidson family and a legacy that continues to impact York today.
Stepping up in a time of crisis
When Jody took on the leadership position at C.S. Davidson, she hadn’t been involved in the company’s day-to-day operations. Before her husband’s death, her role had been limited to typing board minutes and occasionally providing administrative support. But her innate ability to lead quickly became clear. Over the next seven years under her leadership, the number of employees would nearly triple, from 13 to more than 30.
While it was necessary for an engineer to serve as president so the firm could maintain its credentials, Jody’s role as chair of the board meant she was the guiding force behind the company. She hired staff, managed financial decisions, and maintained the family-oriented culture for which C.S. Davidson was known.
A natural leader
Jody’s leadership style was shaped by decades of community involvement. A dedicated volunteer and board member, she served as president of the Junior League of York, played a key role in the restoration of the historic Gates House and Golden Plough Tavern, and was one of the first women to serve on the York County Chamber of Commerce board. She also served as president of the board of the Children’s Home of York.
“She was very involved in community work. I think that was her training,” says Jody’s daughter-in-law Linda Davidson. “She was amazing.”
Jody’s ability to navigate complex leadership roles in community organizations with grace and clarity translated seamlessly into her work at C.S. Davidson. Even after David Sr. died and she was thrust into being a single parent and operating a business, she remained heavily involved in the community.
“She didn’t let any grass grow under her feet,” says her oldest son, David Davidson, Jr.
She never was one to seek the spotlight. Instead, she led because she believed she could contribute meaningfully. Her sharp mind, calm demeanor, and ability to bring people together made her a respected figure in the business and nonprofit sectors. Jody had an uncanny ability to see the middle ground in conflicts, a skill that served her well in maintaining the stability and growth of C.S. Davidson.
‘A very wonderful, strong mentor’
When David Sr. died, Dave Jr. was attending graduate school at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. He and Linda had just been married the year before and were beginning to plan their future together. One piece of advice that David Sr. gave his oldest son was to leave the York area and work for another firm for a few years. But Jody had other ideas.
She asked Dave Jr. to return to York to help stabilize the firm and manage the business. After earning his degree, he came back to the family company, where he began his career in the late 1960s, and slowly stepped into leadership roles. In 1983, he became chief executive officer.
By the end of the decade, Jody’s life was beginning to shift in a new direction. She had reconnected with childhood friend and philanthropist Louis Appell Jr., and the driven duo married in 1978. Shortly thereafter, Jody asked Linda to leave Dallastown Area School District, where she taught home economics, to work as the company’s business manager.
Linda was reluctant at first. She provided the creative counterbalance to her husband’s engineering brain. Math was not her strong suit. She didn’t see how working for an engineering firm could possibly be a good fit, and she didn’t want to work for her husband. Jody wasn’t going to let her off the hook easily, though.
“She said just come in and shadow me and follow me around for a week,” Linda says, “and then I was on the payroll the next week.”
The family-first, community-focused culture that Jody had maintained continued with Linda and Dave Jr. at the helm. Dave Jr. focused on the engineering side of the business, while Linda oversaw the company’s philanthropy as well as hiring, salaries, purchasing of insurance, and employee benefits. In many ways, Linda took up the banner of Jody’s community involvement, stepping into roles with the Chamber of Commerce, the Junior League, and other area organizations.
“She was a very wonderful, strong mentor,” Linda says of Jody. “She never said, ‘Do what I do,’ but I could see how valuable she was in the community. She did a lot of trendsetting in her community work. I just truly respected her and gained a lot of information from her.”
A legacy of strength and service
In the early 1980s, Jody stepped away from her leadership role at C.S. Davidson to focus on her marriage and philanthropy work with Louis Appell Jr. With her new life came new opportunities for community engagement, including significant contributions to the arts and education in York. Her influence at C.S. Davidson never faded, however. She played a key role in shaping the company’s culture, one that values people, community, and thoughtful leadership.
Her impact is still felt today, particularly in the firm’s commitment to fostering female leadership in engineering. In April 2025, C.S. Davidson will award the first Jody Davidson Appell Scholarship to a female civil engineering student at York College of Pennsylvania. This scholarship will help support and encourage women in a traditionally male-dominated field, ensuring that the path Jody helped to broaden continues to benefit future generations.
Although Jody died last year at age 100, her influence endures. Her ability to balance business leadership, community involvement, and family life set an example for those who followed her. Today, C.S. Davidson remains a company that values its people and its roots, in large part because of the foundation that Jody Davidson Appell helped to build.