Gerald Davenport considers the University of Houston his home away from home, and that’s why he has served as a coordinator for UH’s State Employee Charitable Campaign for the past 12 years.
A workplace charity campaign, SECC provides state employees with a convenient and efficient way to make voluntary, tax-deductible contributions to 300 local and state charities through payroll deduction, cash or check.
UH’s SECC, themed “Shasta Loves Houston,” kicked off Sept. 26 with a luncheon for all SECC coordinators, including Davenport. University officials hope the campaign will surpass last year’s record of more than $151,000 and a 27 percent campus participation rate.
Coordinating the Cullen College of Engineering’s SECC is his way of giving back to his “home,” as well as the city of Houston and the state of Texas.
“When you work somewhere for as long as I have, it’s like a home,” said Davenport, who has worked at UH for 29 years.
“You want to see good things happen to your home.”
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Davenport, director of the Cullen College of Engineering cooperative education program, has been successful in increasing participation and collecting a total of $40,742 in contributions from faculty and staff in the past three years.
An easygoing and affable man, Davenport said his secret for success is simple – don’t push. “SECC is an extremely worthwhile endeavor,” said Davenport. “One year, the units got a chance to go on bus tours to visit a few organizations that have benefited from the campaign. I was able to go to the Lighthouse for the Blind; I was moved by the experience.”
Davenport, a 1998 recipient of a Staff Excellence Award and recipient of the Charles F. McElhinney Award for Distinguished Service in 2000, said he focuses his energy on increasing the visibility of SECC within the Cullen College of Engineering and informing faculty and staff of the many ways they can help Texans through the campaign.
“It is important to remind them that any contribution that they make is going to a large number of worthy causes,” he said.
Working with a great team is also part of the secret that helps Davenport achieve success with his fellow co-workers. “There is more camaraderie when you work with people for years,” he said, adding that his other responsibilities, which he enjoys, keep him busy. One of those duties is assisting students to help jump-start their engineering careers.
“I feel fortunate that I have had a reasonably comfortable life, and I have always liked to help people.” For more information on SECC, visit www.secchouston.org.