DAVENPORT RETIRING CITY HALL'S NO. 2 MAN READY FOR CHANGE.

Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer

LANCASTER - In his more than two decades at City Hall, Dennis Davenport preferred being a supporting player rather than the man in the spotlight.

The city's assistant city manager since 1981, Davenport will retire from a tenure that has covered 23 of the 27 years since Lancaster was incorporated as a city.

He helped open Lancaster's first permanent City Hall and develop the Aerospace Walk of Honor. He served as the liaison for law enforcement programs.

Davenport, 58, said he and his wife, Cindy, intend to stay in Lancaster and to be volunteers in civic work.

``Cindy and I want to do volunteer work,'' Davenport said. ``Desert Haven and Grace Resources are charities we think highly of. We want to do some hands-on time, not just give them a check.''

The Davenports also look forward to spending more time with their grandchildren. They have five grandchildren, all 6 years old or younger.

Davenport's admirers called him a hard worker who got things done without demanding applause.

``The ability to not want to share the limelight is rare,'' said Councilman Ed Sileo.

Fred Hann, a former mayor who was one of the city's first council members, described Davenport's hiring as one of the best moves Jim Gilley made when city manager.

``He's the best investment the city's ever had,'' Hann said. ``You folks (Lancaster residents) got your money's worth out of him.''

The son of a Douglas Aircraft Co. worker, Davenport was born in Culver City and came to the Antelope Valley in 1953 at age 7.

He got a two-year arts degree from Antelope Valley College and later received a bachelor's degree in political science from Long Beach State University. While still in college, he was an intern for the city of Cypress, where he was later hired full-time. He was assistant city manager there for more than half his dozen years of work in Cypress municipal government.

Davenport was interested in returning to the Antelope Valley after Lancaster became a city, but Gilley was chosen for the city manager's job. Council members, however, had been favorably impressed with Davenport and were pleased that Gilley soon hired him - in 1981 - as assistant city manager.

``He has been a rock in this city,'' said Gilley, who retired earlier this year from City Hall. ``He is exactly what a city manager hopes for in an assistant. He never complains, never says it can't be done. It was always 'OK, let me help you get there.'''

Davenport said he enjoyed the challenge of working in a new city's government.

``I wanted to be at the start of an organization. I wanted to be on the ground floor,'' Davenport said. ``Lancaster presented me with that opportunity.''

For a few years, the city staff operated out of several temporary sites. Davenport was immediately involved in the development of a permanent City Hall.

``We needed a seat for government - for our public to know where to go to voice their opinions and get their business done,'' Davenport said. ``It was one of the things we knew we were going to do right away.''

The City Hall building was completed in 1984.

Davenport represented city government in organizing the Aerospace Walk of Honor, which honors test pilots with ties to Edwards Air Force Base. Five pilots are honored annually with plaques on granite monuments along Lancaster Boulevard and a black-tie awards dinner.

Early council members Barbara Little and Hann came up with the idea, and Davenport was admittedly skeptical at first, fearing a tasteless knockoff of the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

``I thought it was hokey,'' Davenport said. ``As the idea got beat on for a while, it started to make sense. Edwards is an important part of our economy and our history. We wanted to cement that connection.''

The walk's monuments became part of the revitalization of downtown, and the awards ceremony has become one of the city's signature events, expanded in the past two years to include a street fair.

In the early 1990s, city government launched a program called Partners in which about 180 volunteers worked more than 7,000 hours to survey residents and develop recommendations that included stiffer punishments for graffiti vandals, more citizen involvement in anti-crime programs and zoning guidelines to protect Edwards Air Force Base, the region's largest employer.

Davenport served as the support-staff member on public safety.

``It was an eye-opener. It is one of the most significant things we have done,'' Davenport said. ``I think it's time to look at it again.''

Capt. Carl Deeley, commander of the Lancaster sheriff's station, said Davenport has been a ``a true friend of the Sheriff's Department.'' City Hall officials have always wanted to be alerted to major crimes in the community, and Davenport is the city staffer who received the late-night calls on major crimes. If he was going to be at home, he even stayed on call at night during his vacations, Deeley said.

``He is part of a vanishing breed,'' Deeley said. ``He's a true gentleman from the old school.''

Jim Skeen, [phone]

james.skeen(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) Dennis Davenport, 58, is retiring after working as assistant city manager for 23 of Lancaster's 27 years of cityhood.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer