Recently, I was appointed to serve the people of Vinton, Jackson, Gallia and Lawrence counties as the state representative for the 87th Ohio House District. I feel extremely honored to begin my work as your voice in the Ohio House, and I look forward to meeting with constituents in my service to the district.

As your new state representative, I think it is appropriate to share a bit of my background with all of you. I have worked as a financial consultant and advisor since obtaining a degree in finance from The Ohio State University in 1995. From 2005 to the present, I also have functioned as vice president and partner of Smith Financial Advisors of Hilliard Lyons. I am eager to bring my professional experience to the House. At a time when Ohio is in the process of economic recovery, I hope that my particular knowledge of fiscal policy will be an asset as I review and introduce new legislation.

In terms of public service, I have always strived to remain involved in my community. To this end, I held a seat on the Gallipolis City School Board of Education from 2008-2012 and have been reelected to the board through 2015. I also currently serve on the Holzer Health System board of directors. In the past, I have been president of the Gallia County Chamber of Commerce and have served as a board member and former president of the Community Improvement Corporation, which is the economic development arm for Gallia County. Through all of these activities, I have tried to make my community an even better place to work and live, and I will apply the same effort throughout my time representing the 87th House District in its entirety.

I believe that we should take pride in our communities here in Southern Ohio, and I know that all of you feel the same. It is with this sense of involvement that I start my time in service to my constituents. I will always be looking for feedback and suggestions from everyone in the 87th District, so please feel free to drop by my district office hours or contact my office in Columbus. I am here to represent you, and I welcome any ideas you may have as we work together to improve Ohio.