To the residents of Smith County, after much prayer and thoughtful consideration, I, Craig Williams, am announcing my candidacy for Smith County Trustee.
I am a lifelong resident of Smith County. I lived the first four years of my life in South Carthage. At age 5 we moved to Elmwood, where I continue to reside today. Smith County is a great place to live and raise a family. Our county still has great values and folks that treat others fairly and honestly. I am thankful for that and will do my part to see that continues for my kids and generations to come.
I have been married to Ashley (Ray) Williams for eighteen years. I could not have asked for a better friend, wife, and mother to our sons. We have two boys, Cooper who is twelve, and Cole who is ten. They love hunting, fishing, and playing sports. We spend a lot of time together doing these things and have been fortunate to create lifelong memories. They attend Forks River Elementary School. My wife also works at Forks River, and we consider it a blessing that she can work where our kids attend school. The perfect day for us is an early morning fishing trip, yard work the rest of the day, and then setting at the table together for supper. Simple, I know, but very rewarding.
My parents are Benny and LeeAnn Williams. I have been blessed with parents that took me to church, taught me about Jesus, and instilled in me the importance of family values and work ethic. My dad is the hardest working man I know and is someone I have always looked up to. It was always tough love, but the older I get, the more I appreciate the way he raised me. My mom, LeeAnn Williams, also instilled these values in me and taught me that the Golden Rule principle is pleasing in the sight of the Lord. She will have been the Smith County Trustee for twenty-four years upon her retirement this year. My mom can lay her head on her pillow at night and know that she has treated her fellow citizens of Smith County fairly and honestly and done everything she could to grow the position of Trustee to best suit the residents of this county.
Terry and Sherrie (Sircy) Ray are my wife’s parents. They have always been great to me and more importantly the best Grandparents I could have asked for to our kids. Terry is a life-lone self-made contractor that done whatever was needed to support his family. I have great respect for him as I have watched over the years the way he always put his kids first. Sherrie, my mother-in-law, is currently a homemaker. She watched our kids a lot as they grew up and would not take a dime to do it. I am grateful to be part of their family and could not have asked for any better. My brother-in-law is Michael Ray. He is currently employed by the Town of Gordonsville and has been involved in city government for several years. He is also serving as the Treasurer of my campaign.
I have, for several years now, wanted to run for a county office. I feel it is time for my generation to step up and preserve the great principles that have made our county the best in Tennessee and so, after praying about it, I am going to run for Trustee. I attended Forks River Elementary School and went to Smith County High School. After high school, I attended Aquinas College and then Tennessee Tech University. I worked a couple of part-time jobs while attending school and then jumped straight into the workforce. I have been with the same company for seventeen years. I was hired at an entry level position but started setting goals for myself to advance. After just a few years, I was fortunate enough to join in on the management side of the operation. I worked hard and continued to take company offered classes to improve my skill set. I have extensive knowledge in Excel, Word, Kronos, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and several other applications. I also helped implement a new ERP system into my department. I am always analyzing and entering data to look for ways to improve our business and implement cost saving plans when applicable. I have been blessed with great employees whom I respect. I am honest
and fair and will do whatever it takes to get the job done to serve our customers. I also have an extensive background in customer service. I deal with internal and external customers daily and understand the importance of quality relationships and effective communication.
As Trustee, I would continue to run the office the same way it is currently being ran. My goal would be to keep the same staff on board if that is the path the current employees want. Hours of operation would also stay the same but be expanded when needed to serve the people of the county. Also, I will be available during off hours for phone calls, questions, and even open the office to serve the ones that cannot be served during normal business hours. I would also take all the state offered Trustee courses to continue growing the position and putting our office in a position to be one of the most efficient in the State. Our customer service would be second to none and our bad day would not become yours. I have conservative values, but I also know my job is to serve all the people of this county in a fair and honest way regardless of party affiliation.
In closing, I will run this office with class and top-notch customer service. We will have golden rule standards and be an office that will greet you with a smile and make your experience with us a good one. I would appreciate your vote and support as we start to move forward. My goal is to personally visit with you and ask for your support over the next few months. I stand behind my promises of not being
