The leader of the district that serves more than 74,000 students across Bountiful, Woods Cross, North Salt Lake, and Farmington didn't know what was coming when he stepped off the keynote stage Thursday, July 30.

Davis School District Superintendent Dan Linford was called back in front of at least 500 administrators and department leaders at Syracuse High School and surprised with the 2026 Utah Superintendent of the Year award from the Utah School Superintendents Association.

"It's an honor, but I also, I know what it really means, and I know it's me being recognized for the work of a lot of others," Linford told KSL after the ceremony.

The presentation happened during Davis School District's Annual Summer Leadership Conference. USSA Executive Director Lexi Cunningham made the announcement on stage alongside Linford's family, board member Brigit Gerrard, and Juab School District Superintendent Kodey Hughes, who nominated Linford for the award.

Hughes, who has worked with Linford for three years in a leadership group focused on training superintendents and state legislation, said Linford was his first choice. He praised Linford's keynote for making national education trends accessible to building-level principals.

What it means heading into August 20

The award lands three weeks before Davis School District's first day of school on Thursday, August 20. Linford's district is in the middle of significant capital investment in career and technical education, with a new 39,552-square-foot, three-story CTE building at Bountiful High School expected to open when classes begin. The building will house programs in interior design, automotive technology, accounting, and medical anatomy and physiology.

Bryan Turner, the district's director of architectural services, told the Davis Journal in late June that furniture would be installed in July and the building would be "up and running probably around the same time as school starts."

The Davis School District Board of Education toured CTE construction projects across the district, including new buildings at both Clearfield High School and Bountiful High School, plus the Catalyst Center Phase 2 expansion. The district said the tour focused on how CTE programs are growing to meet industry demand.

Linford, who worked in construction before entering education, framed the superintendent's role in terms of that background: "For a superintendent, the work is never done, but it's always meaningful."

The Utah School Superintendents Association said Linford's leadership and dedication to strengthening education across Davis County have made a lasting impact. Families can check davis.k12.ut.us/board for the next board meeting date.