Submitted by Jeff Mason – Residents of Smith County, after much prayer and thoughtful consideration, I, Jeffrey “Jeff” Mason, am announcing my intentions to seek re-election as your Smith County Mayor. The past three and a half years have been the most rewarding years of my work life serving as your County Mayor. For those of you that I have not had the opportunity to meet face to face during my term, let me introduce myself.
I am the son of the late Jackie Mason and Brenda Gail Hawkins Mason. My Grandparents were John and Geneva Mason and Bill and Gwendolen Hawkins. My family and I reside in the Bluff Creek community. My wife Amanda Bryan Mason served as an educator at Gordonsville High School from 2008 till 2021 teaching business concepts and personal finance. She recently accepted a position as a content creator for Strivven Media in the career and technical education field. You may have read one of her three books she has self-published in the Christian fiction genre. We have 3 children: Maggie, McKenzie “Lou”, and Jax Mason. Maggie is a junior at Tennessee Tech and will graduate in December with an Accounting degree, Lou is a freshman at Tennessee Tech pursuing a degree in Ag Business, and Jax is a very active second grader at New Middleton Elementary school.
Blessed to have been born and raised in Smith County, I grew up in South Carthage. My parents taught me about Jesus, right and wrong and the value of hard work, I attended MTSU for one year after graduating from Smith County High. I received certification in tooling and machining from Nashville Tech. I spent 18 years in the tool and die field to provide for my family. In 2006, I began a part-time real estate sales career in Smith County and transitioned to a full-time sales position in industrial/commercial product sales ranging from highly automated work cells to waste handling containers. I have worked for you the past three and a half years as County Mayor. I oversee the day to operations of your county government. I currently serve as Vice chair of the Upper Cumberland Development District, Upper Cumberland Human Resource Agency executive boards. and Chairman of the TN Central Economic Authority Board of Directors. I am 2020 graduate of TVA Rural Leadership Program. I am a member of the 2019 Smith County Adult Leadership class.
I am blessed with the staff I have that works hard every day to do their best job for the citizens of Smith County. We have made decisions that everybody agreed with and some that very few agreed with. That is the nature of this business. I know that I can not please everybody and would be foolish to try. I have been open and honest in every situation. I am not afraid to say no if what is being asked is not possible. I have not been afraid to ask questions or seek advice and counsel from others after saying I don’t know. A fellow Upper Cumberland mayor said the other day “Jeff Mason is different than most first time mayors. He didn’t think he knew it all. He asks questions and seeks advice.”
My priorities are and will always be faith, family, and freedom. Smith County shows these same traits in its citizens every day! I have witnessed firsthand how we come together and pray, how we hold family values close to our heart and cherish our God given freedoms! I have coined a phrase that I use everywhere I go and that is “Smith County, we are still what is right with the world!” I live and believe this every day. Smith County is growing and changing with new citizens moving here every day. Though some may find it odd that we still wave at passing cars, pull over for funeral processions or say ma’am and sir to folks that are older than us, this is all part of the charm that makes Smith County such a special place to live, work, and raise a family.
The past three and half years have taught me lessons I already knew but have been reenforced by the issues that have came up! Write your plans and goals in pencil and have an eraser handy because as the commercial says life comes at you fast! Over the coming weeks and months, I will lay out our successes
that we have achieved and where we will focus on opportunities to get better in the next four years. I have tried to make decisions based on business principles and common sense. My job is to be CEO of Smith County and you are one of the 19,900 customers that we serve because you call Smith County home!
Thank you for giving me this opportunity in August of 2018 and I humbly ask for your vote and support to be reelected in 2022! May God bless you and may God continue to bless Smith County!
