Published: February 18, 2008 09:28 am         

Two Democrats seek opening Pct. 3 commissioner's seat - Justin Smith

Justin Smith profile

By Libby Cluett
lcluett@mineralwellsindex.com

Justin Smith, 29, lives in Gordon with his wife, Amy. He currently works as the Information Technology technician at First National Bank of Santo.

Smith has also worked for Palo Pinto County in different capacities. He worked in the jail for the sheriff’s department and on the Precinct 4 road crew for former commissioner Raymond Proctor. More recently, he worked at the Palo Pinto County Courthouse in Information Systems with Systems Manager Joey Finley.

“I started at the bottom and worked my way up,” he said about his county tenure.

Smith’s education, activities and community service include:

• Graduating from Gordon High School.

• Serving on the Gordon Volunteer Fire Department and through the Gordon VFD volunteering for the Red Cross.

• Helping with the Palo Pinto youth deer hunt for the past three years.

Smith said he is “after younger people” who he said “are overlooked in lots of ways.”

He added that there are not many young registered voters and said, “I’m trying to get younger people involved.”

He said he is qualified for the job because, “I’ve dealt with the county before,” having worked for the county for five years in three different capacities.

Additionally, Smith noted, “The further we move into the future, the more things will become computerized. My knowledge in [information systems and computers] will move the county forward and will help with voting, with road crews and with all of the offices set up in the county.”

“That’s a big step in moving the county forward into using more electronics in the county,” he concluded.