Local businessman Dow Smith announced today he is running for the Rutherford County School Board, Zone 1 seat, which encompasses parts of Smyrna and LaVergne.

"I am passionate about public education, because public education has been so beneficial for me and my family," Smith, owner of Dow Smith Contracting Company, Inc., said. "I believe that a quality education is the key foundational component for our children to enjoy a successful life, meet their goals, and achieve their dreams."

Smith established Dow Smith Contracting Company, Inc. in 1992. The company specializes in church, healthcare, and commercial building and has worked on many projects in Lavergne and Smyrna, including LaVergne United Methodist Church, Industrial & Maintenance Engineering, Seven Oaks, Smyrna Bowling Center, Veterans Parkway Church of Christ, Southern Bank of Tennessee, Smyrna Senior Center, Premiere Vet Care, Parkway Baptist Church, Martin Eye Care, LifePoint Stewart's Creek Campus, and Grace Pediatrics.

"Our company realizes the importance of completing a project on time, within budget, and with an emphasis on quality. If elected, I will apply the same values and approach to serving on the school board," Smith said.

"We have a well-managed school system, but we should always strive, as a community, to do better. I will make sure our tax dollars are well spent because a successful and well-managed public education system is a community's most effective economic development tool. By investing wisely in our children's future through public education, it will lead to more job opportunities and a better quality of life," he said.

One of Smith's priorities will be after school programs. These programs can boost academic performance, reduce risky behaviors, and promote physical health, according to youth.gov, a U.S. government website. As students at Smyrna High School, Smith's two sons participated in football and soccer.

"Afterschool activities is where the magic happens. Obviously, classroom activities are the most important, but the afterschool activities, such as music, band, ROTC, and athletics, have a direct impact on students' performance in the classroom, as well as their emotional and social development," Smith said.

Smith is Vice Chair of the Rutherford County Building Authority, a Community Servants, Inc. board member, and member and past board member of Smyrna Rotary and the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce. He is a supporter and past board member of the Sam Davis Home. Smith is a former board member of United Way of Rutherford County, Positive Horizons Christian Counseling Center, and YMCA of North Rutherford, where he also served as Chair of the Christian Emphasis Committee and was named Volunteer of the Year in 2011. He is a graduate of Leadership Rutherford and Leadership Middle Tennessee.

Smith graduated from John Overton High School in Nashville and earned a Bachelor of Science from Auburn University. He married his wife, Cindy Taliaferro Smith, in 1989 and moved to her hometown of Smyrna in 1990. Their two sons graduated from Smyrna High School.

The Smiths are members of Providence United Methodist Church, where they participate in an ongoing clean water project in Los Cerritos, Nicaragua. Smith is a former Lay Leader of Smyrna First United Methodist Church and served on the Board of Ordained Ministry for the Tennessee Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

The Rutherford County School Board election is Aug. 2, with early voting July 13-28.