04/25/2026
Roots
Chances are, if you have lived in Fannin County for any time at all, you probably know a Davenport. I have been asked multiple times, “Which set of Davenports are you from?”. So, I thought it would be good to break down our family ties and our roots to the community.
Suzanne and I are both multigenerational natives. Suzanne is 8th generation, and I am 9th generation. We actually met in preschool at the Methodist church in downtown Blue Ridge. Little did we know, 20 years later, God had special plans for us.
We randomly bumped into each other at a restaurant one day and hit it off. We were inseparable, and within the year we were married. In the 12 years we have been married, the good Lord has blessed us with 5 beautiful kids—Levi, Callie, Corrie, Lyra, and Laiken. We have both worked multiple jobs that have guided us to where we are today. Nine years ago, we felt drawn to start a pharmacy (Southern Drug Company) from scratch in our hometown, and two years ago, we felt our town needed a safe, fun place for families and friends to hang out, so we started an ice cream shop from scratch, Which is now serving 2 locations and a food truck (Blue Ridge Creamery). Fannin County has always been our home and always will be! We are grateful we are able to live, work, and play in the same place we were raised.
My parents are Kennon and Becky Davenport. My father worked for Fannin County in several departments —as a firefighter/EMT, deputy director of EMA, and jailer. He then went to work for Blue Ridge Telephone Company (now TDS) in the ’80s and is still there today. My mother was an LPN and then took a position in the school system. We grew up spending our evenings after school working on the farm or helping around my uncle Glen’s or James’s BP service stations in downtown Blue Ridge.
My father’s parents were Leamen and Ethel Davenport. I spent more time at their house than I did at my own, it seems like. We would ride the bus over after school, and Mamaw would keep us. We spent all summer picking blackberries, working in the garden with Mamaw, and working in the hay fields with Papaw. We would go fishing on Rock Creek 2 or 3 times a week, and Papaw wouldn’t let us leave until we all caught our limit. Leamen was a logger and a sawmiller. When I was a kid, he was still sawing, and I remember getting to help them at the sawmill. Ethel worked at Levi’s and American Uniform as long as I can remember, until she retired. They are both gone now, but I am thankful for all they poured into me, making me the man I am today.
My mother’s parents are David and Doris Long. David worked for Georgia Forestry my whole childhood, and Mom would take us by the Lakewood office some evenings and let us visit with him. I thought it was so cool that my Grandpa could dress up like Smokey the Bear! The Longs were also farmers in Morganton, and, over the years, raised millions of chickens, many cows, and literally truckloads of collards.
I have one brother, Paul Davenport. He married Cadi Edmondson, and they have 3 kids. Paul is a local State Farm agent here in Blue Ridge, and Cadi works with him. Paul was selected to take over his father-in-law, Charlie Edmondson’s, State Farm office.
Suzanne’s parents are Jon and Sandi Stepp. As a father of 3 daughters myself, I can only imagine how they felt when Suzanne brought a handlebar-mustache-wearing fireman home to meet them, but they have been amazing and supportive from day one. I am very thankful for them and their influence in our lives. Jon and Sandi have owned and operated The Diamond Center in Blue Ridge and Murphy for over 45 years. They started out in the jewelry business owning Sneed’s Jewelry in McCaysville and, after the big flood, bought The Diamond Center from Sandi’s mom, Christine, in Blue Ridge. They have been great mentors and sounding boards for all of our business ideas over the years.
Sandi’s parents were Flint and Christine Davis. Flint worked at the Smelter’s store at the Copper Company, then later he and Christine owned the Sears store and the Tastee Freez in McCaysville during the 60s. The wonderful stories and reminiscing we have heard throughout the years about the Tastee Freez was a huge inspiration in us opening Blue Ridge Creamery. We wanted to be the Tastee Freez of our generation, providing a safe and welcoming place for folks to make memories and spend time with friends and family. Christine later opened The Diamond Center in Blue Ridge in the old Ingles shopping center, years later selling it to Jon and Sandi Stepp. She was a sweet and inspirational lady, and we spent many afternoons with her, hearing stories of days gone by as she insisted on spoiling her great-grandbabies.
Jon Stepp’s mother and father were Aud Lee Stepp (A.L. Stepp) and Anna Lee Stepp. A.L. Stepp was the last sole commissioner of Fannin County, and he played a big part in shaping Fannin County to the way we know it today. He was instrumental in bringing in our local hospital (Blue Ridge Medical Center - formerly Fannin Regional Hospital), the Fannin nursing home, industry employing hundreds of people, and the ambulance service and EMS for the county. The stories we still continuously hear about the great impact A.L. Stepp made in Fannin County during his service as Commissioner is part of what influenced me to run for this position.
Suzanne has one sister, Elizabeth Patton, and she is married to Jordan Patton. They are both physicians in our community. Jordan is an ophthalmologist and owns Blue Ridge Mountain Ophthalmology, and Elizabeth is trained in emergency medicine. They have 4 kids, and we are thankful they, too, live here in Fannin County.
My background and experience
Growing up on the farm, we cared for our land and animals. We operated trucks and tractors, scraped roads, bush-hogged, mowed, and weed-eated (what felt like miles of creek banks and fence lines). We cut, fluffed, raked, and baled hay, hauling truck and trailer loads of hay and equipment all over the county. When I graduated high school, I worked a few different jobs, figuring out what field I wanted to go into. I landed on being an electrician. I worked in this field for a few years and wired many local homes and businesses. Around 2008, with the crash, my crew was cut. I had been volunteering on the fire department for about a year and had already started EMT school, so I leaned into that full force. When I graduated EMT school, I accepted a position with Hall County Fire Service, where I gained invaluable training and experience. While working at Hall County Fire, I went back to school and became a paramedic. I assisted in the Hall County training center as an adjunct instructor, and I was on the competition firefighter team, where we would travel the state competing in firefighter competitions. A few years later, an opportunity arose at the City of Milton as a firefighter/paramedic. It was always my goal to earn a position at Milton - a new city at the time that had some of the best pay and benefits around. They had all new equipment and room for growth within the department. It was a little closer drive but still a long way from home. After a couple of years of passing kids off back and forth somewhere between Milton and Blue Ridge with Suzanne, we decided I needed to be closer to home. I had the opportunity to accept a full time position with the Fannin County Fire Department as a paramedic/firefighter. I was stationed in McCaysville on Med 4 with Trey Robinson. I was eager to bring my knowledge and experience I gained at the larger departments back to serve my hometown. I worked in this position full time for several years until COVID began. We made the tough decision that my services and skills were needed most serving our community at Southern Drug Company during the Pandemic. Since that time, we purchased and remodeled the building beside the pharmacy where we opened Blue Ridge Creamery in 2024.
I joined Fannin County Fire Department in January 2007 and have been a part of the department either full time, part time, or as a volunteer for 18 years now, currently serving as a volunteer firefighter/paramedic while we operate our businesses. These days, Suzanne and I work together to lead Southern Drug Company and Blue Ridge Creamery, managing our teams and growing the businesses while supporting and giving back to our community.
In between my full time positions, I have remodeled several homes and commercial properties, managed long-term and short-term rentals. I have managed many types of construction projects and subs—from grading, concrete, plumbing, framing, and more . I know what these jobs should cost and how long they should take to complete.
I have purchased and operated mowers, tractors, and equipment. I have worked on and have a lot of experience with fire trucks and ambulances, and I know what the price range this type of equipment should cost and what to look for when making a purchase. As your Post 2 Commissioner, if someone presents a bid to buy equipment, I will be able to make informed decisions based on my experiences to make sure you, the citizens, are getting the most out of your tax dollars.
We currently employ approximately 30 people in our businesses - Southern Drug Company and Blue Ridge Creamery, so I am very familiar with managing teams and making sure that we stay focused as a team to accomplish the goals we have set. As lifelong learners, We have always strived to learn and grow along the way, despite the setbacks and obstacles. Suzanne and I have both completed Leadership Fannin and Leadership Georgia, and I am currently in the class of 2026 for Republican Leadership Georgia. These programs have taught us so much about leadership here at home and also what’s going on across our great state, and the connections we have made have built a network of resources across the state that will be invaluable while serving our community as Post 2 Commissioner.
Becoming your Post 2 Commissioner was not something that I considered while growing up, but it’s something I felt the Lord put on my heart about 3 years ago. It kept coming up over and over again. I kept saying, “I’m not ready for something like that.” But after attending Leadership Georgia in 2025, I knew this was the year, and I felt the pull even more. Since I announced on Father’s Day weekend in June 2025, God has opened door after door along the way.
I want to be the next Post 2 commissioner not only because this is something I felt led to do, but also because I have deep roots in Fannin County, and I want to make sure that our kids can find work here, buy houses here, and pour back into the place they grew up, for generations to come. I won’t just attend commissioner meetings and shake my head “yes” to everything that comes across the desk. I will ask the right questions and be your voice on the board, working with the other commissioners to keep Fannin County the best place in the state to live, work, play, and raise a family. We need to protect our small-town conservative values, use common sense, and make sure that with every decision we make, we ask the question: “Does this protect and benefit the local people of Fannin County?” - If it doesn’t, then we need to find another way.
In the words of Suzanne’s grandfather, A.L. Stepp, “Living is fine in Fannin” - let’s keep it that way!
Early voting is April 27–May 15. The primary election is May 19.
It would be an honor to serve you as your Post 2 Commissioner. When you go to the polls, I would truly appreciate your prayers and your vote - Vote John Davenport!
I would like to give a super special thank you to my amazing wife for always being my sidekick through life and through this election season. Whether it’s caring for the kids, helping me tackle a speech, or going to events, she is always eager to help, and I appreciate her so much!
Also, a special shout out to Aline Davenport and Debbie Gerard who have made sure for 11 years that our babies are well loved and cared for while we serve the community. They are so special to us!
