Yvette Davids

Vice Admiral and Superintendent
U.S. Naval Academy

Vice Admiral Yvette M. Davids made history in January 2024 when she became the first woman of Hispanic descent to serve as superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. It was recently announced that she is being reassigned to a new role by the Trump administration.

A native of San Antonio, Texas, Davids has had a distinguished career spanning more than three decades in the U.S. Navy. Her path began at the institution she now leads, graduating from the Naval Academy in 1989 with a degree in oceanography.

Her naval career includes extensive combat experience, having served during Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. She became the first Hispanic female to command a warship in U.S. Navy history, leading the USS Curts in deployments to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf.

“This recognition represents not just a personal achievement, but a milestone for our entire Hispanic community,” Davids said after receiving the MANA National Latina Organization’s “Las Primeras” award in 2008.

Davids’ leadership roles have grown increasingly prominent, including command of the USS Bunker Hill and later the Nimitz Strike Group. Her shore assignments demonstrated her diplomatic capabilities, serving as senior military adviser to the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs.

Before assuming her role as the academy’s 65th superintendent, Davids served as acting commander of Naval Surface Forces and acting commander of Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Her military decorations include two Defense Superior Service Medals, three Legion of Merit awards and four Meritorious Service Medals, among numerous other honors.

Davids earned a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from Naval War College and a master’s in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.

This profile is part of The Daily Record's Power 100 List for 2025. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree. See the full list at thedailyrecord.com.