Former Owner, Lakeshore Industries
Geismar, LA

Charles Davenport is the founder and was the owner-operator of Lakeshore Industries, a service business that repaired and maintained critical systems, including the steering system, main engine room controls, main generators and controls, phone systems, pumps and controls, boiler controls, and electronic Woodward Governor Company voltage regulators for the Port of New Orleans shipping industry. His clients included major oil and gas companies such as, Chevron Oil Company, Shell Oil Company, Phillips Oil Company, Texas Petroleum Oil Company (TIPCO) and Mobil Oil Company. Charles was a distributor for three major submersible pump companies, KSB, Flygt, and ABS. He also maintained control panels for Electric Motor Drives (EMD) drilling rig mud pumps, utilizing silicon control rectifiers (SCRs). As a result of this experience, he developed a subscription electrical motor database which included a web-based redesign program for electrical motors and a web-based request for quote that is shared among multiple rewind shops. Charles received his education in aviation electrical and electronics in the Navy. He supplemented this with technical education in electronics and A/C refrigeration.

Charles was married for 41 years and has seven children and nine grandchildren. He lost his wife to breast cancer. Recently, he has been using his navigational, mechanical, and adaptive skills on a new adventure as he and his partner, Donna, explore their next transition. He and Donna live on a 47’ sailboat and have spent two years in Guatemala among the Mayans. They sailed through the Panama Canal on their way to the Bay Area to start their DCI year at Stanford. Charles enjoys zydeco dancing, biking, downhill skiing and working on the boat.

DCI Fellow: Donna Akerson