Marlin "Skip" Davies participated in baseball and wrestling at Yuba Junior College, but his passion was football. Skip played on back to back Golden Valley Conference championship teams in 1958 and 1959. He continued his playing career at UC Davis as a fullback and an inside linebacker in 1961 and 1962. At both institutions, Skip received many awards for his play, and his contributions led to the success of both programs.

Skip received his Bachelors Degree from UCD in 1964 and started his professional career in education (teaching and coaching) at El Camino High School. In 1966, he accepted a position at Woodland High School where he taught history and physical education. Skip also coached football, wrestling and track. In 1969, he received his Masters Degree from Sacramento State. He then moved to Utah where he received his Doctorate from Utah State University in 1972. Skip then returned to Woodland and worked as a Junior High vice principal for one year before becoming the principal. He served as principal at Douglas Junior High and in numerous other district level assignments until 1983, when he was hired at Cosumnes River College as Dean of Physical Education and Athletics.

While the Dean of Physical Education and Athletics at CRC, Skip was instrumental in working with the faculty to modify the curriculum, add new classes in P.E., and add new intercollegiate programs. It was through Skip that Intercollegiate Women’s Basketball and Soccer programs were added to the department, bringing CRC into compliance with Title IX. He also worked extensively with the college and the Los Rios District to renovate the existing facilities for baseball, softball, soccer, tennis and initiated the discussions with the Sacramento Kings about building a new gymnasium for basketball and volleyball. Skip would later become Deputy Chancellor for the Los Rios District. As deputy chancellor for the district, the gym project was later completed by the Board of Trustees and Chancellor Brice Harris, following a successful district bond initiative.

During his tenure as the Dean of Physical Education and Athletics, Skip also served for two years as President of the Bay Valley Conference. Skip is a master at wearing several different hats. He has served as Dean of Technology and Fine Arts as well as the Dean of the Placerville Center. He was instrumental in facilitating the design efforts for the El Dorado Center and the Fine Arts Complex at CRC, and he helped to bring the Ford ASSET program to the college. Skip’s main focus at CRC was to provide an environment where the students and faculty could achieve success without concern for administrative matters. In 1993, Skip was appointed Dean of the Folsom Lake Center and later he was named provost of the center and eventually the President of the Folsom Lake College Centers. In the early 2000’s, Skip was appointed to serve as Vice Chancellor of Instruction and Student Services for the Los Rios Community College District and later was elevated to the position of deputy chancellor for the district. Skip retired from Los Rios in 2004 and served as the Interim Vice Chancellor for the State Chancellor’s Office.

Skip and his wife Julie were married in 1962 and live in Woodland where he is currently the mayor. They have three daughters: Teresa, Diane and Miriam, who live in the Woodland/Davis area. This attributes to their close relationship with their daughters, son in laws, Brent Conley and Jason Fisk, as well as their five grandchildren, Alan Davies, Garrett Conley and Julia, Tucker and Carmine Fisk.