Ben J. Davenport, Jr., of Chatham, VA, is the chairman of Davenport Energy, a multifaceted company founded in 1941 by his father, Ben J. Davenport, Sr., which provides quality petroleum products to a customer base throughout Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. He also serves as chairman of First Piedmont Corporation, a full-service waste management company providing waste hauling, disposal, and recycling services in Virginia and North Carolina. Davenport attended Hargrave Military Academy and Virginia Tech, graduating from the Pamplin College of Business in 1964 with a B.S. degree in business. In addition to his business interests, Davenport is involved in a variety of other activities. He is the vice chairman of the GO Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board. He sits on the boards of directors for Hargrave Military Academy, The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, the Future of the Piedmont Foundation, and the Mid Atlantic Broadband. He is a strong supporter of Virginia Tech University. Davenport and his wife, Betty, recently pledged $1M to support the creation of the Ben and Betty Davenport Institute for Early Childhood Development through the VFCCE. The Institute maintains the mission to help create a more talented and educated early childhood education workforce and, in turn, build strong communities.