In 2018, AVIAN officially became a 49% employee-owned company. This act was vital, as it strengthened the appreciation of shared ownership, which has been a core value since the beginning of the company in 2005.
In honor of Employee-Ownership Month we are highlighting several AVIAN employee owners and their experience working in an employee-owned company.
We are honored to introduce (ret.) Lt.Col., U.S. Marine Corps, Rich Davidson, who has been onboard with AVIAN as a Senior Analyst since 2017.
Prior to joining AVIAN, Rich served a total of 21 years in the Marine Corps. While serving on active-duty, Rich was an Executive Aviation Supply Officer supporting fighter aircraft's and monitoring intermediate level supply activity. Additionally, he was the Branch Head for the AV-8B Harrier and V-22 Osprey spares and repairs planning, outfitting and support.
At AVIAN, Rich is responsible for logistics, development, and support of test spares and repairs for the Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems program office (PMA-262). He says what he enjoys most about supporting this customer is the collaboration and working with people to do great things for the fleet.
Many AVIAN employees may recognize Rich’s name because he is the “Timesheet Reminder Guy” even though his formal role in the company has nothing to do with Timesheets or our company Payroll.
Since 2022, Rich Davidson has dedicated time every day to send an email reminding employee owners to complete their timesheets.
Rich’s role in sending timesheet reminders started when he answered the call to action from AVIAN’s founder, Jeff Sherman, to help carry along a tradition of sending entertaining timesheet reminders daily.
Sherman was set to retire from AVIAN and asked if anyone was willing to send these messages to ensure people were completing their timesheets. Who answered, the call? Rich.
When Rich took over on January 6, 2022, he didn’t quite know what he was getting himself into. He said in his first message to the company, “Some traditions need to live on. Hoping we can keep this one alive.” And boy has he kept the tradition alive. Rich’s reminders are always unique, no AI, all Rich. He engages other employee owners to contribute and always includes at least one dad joke.
Why does Rich devote time in his day to send these reminders? This is a prime example of practicing the employee-owner mindset.
According to Rich, the employee-owner mindset is like being a homeowner. If you are not willing to take care of the house or improve the environment around you, then it will not flourish. When employee-owners nurture the environment around them it creates growth, value, and success for them and the company.
What inspires Rich to stay with AVIAN, after 8 years, is the company culture, which he believes is like the Marine Corps. AVIAN’s culture of taking care of others, depending on others, helping others be successful, and recognizing them when they do.
“The thing that impressed me most about AVIAN before we were officially employee-owned with an ESOP was the company culture of care for each other,” Rich said. “By taking care of each other, you inspire an environment that breeds mission success. If you can't take care of others while striving for mission success, you’ll never be successful with the mission. The ESOP retirement is icing on the cake, but what is more important to me is the culture of care.”
Employee-ownership at AVIAN follows our Principles and Promises and emphasized giving each employee owner a voice. Rich has constantly felt comfortable sharing his thoughts with his team, his manager and with AVIAN’s CEO, Kevin Switick.
“Leadership values and encourages communication on all levels,” Rich said. “You can’t grow and make things better if you don’t have that free flow of communication. That type of communication is utilized on every level at AVIAN.”
Rich is passionate about his job, and fostering a culture of care, but he is also very passionate about his family and enjoying some rest and relaxation on cruise ships. Rich has been married for 40 plus years, has 3 children and 5 grandchildren. He frequently goes on cruises with his wife and has a Spain cruise planned for 2026 and Australia planned for 2027.
We are grateful for all our employee-owners, as we could not truly embody the AVIAN Way without them. Thank you, Rich, for embracing the employee-owner mindset.
As Rich says when he signs his daily timesheet reminder, “Stay safe, wash your hands, and Semper Fi.”
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