By Steve Nash – Special Contributor to BrownwoodNews.com

Brown County Commissioners Court members approving the hiring Monday of Anna Davenport of Tennessee as a Texas A&M AgriLife extension agent for the county.

Davenport replaces Scott Anderson, who retired in August 2025.

Marty Gibbs, district extension administrator with the AgriLife Extension Service in San Angelo, presented Davenport to commissioners and recommended her hiring.

“Miss Anna Davenport is originally from Tennessee,” Gibbs told commissioners. “She’s been teaching at a college there for the past six or seven years, studying in the Ag Department, and has been very successful at that. We (were) pleased to ask her to come interview for this position.

“She met last week with Commissioner Kelton and the judge to visit and talk to them, and I’d offer her up for your consideration. She’s moving to Texas. Her fiancé lives in the Scranton community, and that’s where they intend to live at some point when they get married.”

The goal is for Davenport to start work Sept. 1, Gibbs said, adding that she brings “a wealth of information” to the job, Gibbs said.

Brown County Judge Tom Munson asked Gibbs to explain the importance of hiring someone with a background in education.

“We are an education agency, and what the ag agent does, what Scott Anderson did here for so many years, is teach classes on agriculture and work with ag producers in the community,” Gibbs replied.

“I think it’s important, as we review the many applicants that we got for this position, that someone comes into this position with an understanding of agriculture and the ability to teach and lead people in that way.”

Davenport also has a background in 4-H and will work in the 4-H program in Brown County to some extent, probably half-time, Gibbs said.

“We do have a 4-H agent here that’s currently doing that, but they kind of tag team all of that work together,” Gibbs said. “So her growing up in the 4-H program, her having an ag background and leading an ag department at a college, is very important to us.”

In other business, commissioners:

• Approved an interlocal agreement between Brown and Lamb counties for inmate housing.

• Discussed renewing an interlocal agreement with the Public Defender’s Office for Capital Cases. Commissioners declined to take action Monday and will receive additional information.

• Approved applications to install private lines of County Road 405 (Zephyr Water Supply) and County Road 201 (Brookesmith SUD).

• Approved enrolling Brandon Shirley, a Precinct 3 road hand, in a CDL course at Texas State Texas University.