The Family Refuge Center (FRC) has hired Kenosha Davenport as its new executive director. Davenport received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Marylhurst University. Her interest in working with the movement against domestic violence and sexual assault started when she was a student at UAH. An advocate from Crisis Services of North Alabama spoke to her Intro to Psychology class, and Davenport felt inspired. “I always knew that I wanted to help people,” she noted. Six months later, Davenport saw an advertisement for a position as a shelter specialist for the same organization. She was hired and worked in the position while she was a student. Later, Davenport was promoted within the organization to volunteer coordinator, where she oversaw more than 200 volunteers in four counties and five programs in northern Alabama. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she transitioned into a position as a rape response advocate, working with sexual assault clients and in community education and prevention efforts. Feeling she had reached her peak at Crisis Services of North Alabama, Davenport then accepted a job as the executive director of Victim Services of Cullman, serving three counties in Alabama. She most recently worked as the executive director of Haven, a domestic violence and sexual assault shelter and agency in Sanford, NC. Davenport pointed out that her many prior positions in the field have provided her with a variety of valuable experiences. “Both of the executive director positions that I’ve held have taught me a lot about what I need to know as a leader,” she said. “They really sharpened my tools.” Through 2016, Davenport will also continue work with the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence, performing compliance checks on shelter programs in the state. A mother of three, she is enthusiastic about her move to Lewisburg and her work here, both with FRC and the community. The Family Refuge Center is a community-based domestic violence and sexual assault center serving Pocahontas, Greenbrier, and Monroe Counties. Committed to ending physical, sexual, and emotional abuse in families, FRC encourages and promotes healthy family life based on mutual respect and support for all family members To contact the Family Refuge Center, or for more information, call 304-645-6334 or visit www.familyrefugecenter.org.
