Candidate: Joseph E. Smith

ENDORSED BY THE PEOPLE YOU TRUST: POLICE BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION CLASSROOM TEACHERS ASSOCIATION TREASURE COAST AFL/CIO ALSO ENDORSED BY TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS http://www.tcpalm.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-endorsement-st-lucie-county-clerk-of-court-democratic-primary-3829dd87-8f2e-0717-e053-0100-388293751.html The most important endorsement I can receive is yours on August 30. Clerk Joseph E. Smith is proud to call St. Lucie County home and is pleased to serve as your independently elected Clerk of the Circuit Court. A native of Fort Pierce, Clerk Smith has lived here for nearly all his life. Elected twice by the voters of St. Lucie County to serve as Clerk after serving one term on the Board of Commissioners, Clerk Smith received his Master of Arts degree from The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management in Washington, D.C. He earned a Bachelor\'s degree from the University of Central Florida in Political Science and Organizational Communication. Clerk Smith earned his Clerk of the Circuit Court certification from the Florida Supreme Court after more than 240 hours of intensive training. Smith is a graduate of Lincoln Park Academy, the same school his mother and sister attended. His first job in our community was working after-school at WQCS 88.9FM, broadcast from the campus of Indian River State College. As county commissioner, Smith pushed the concept of being a “green” county and environmentally-friendly designs of several county facilities are a result including the Clerk of the Circuit Court building in Historic Downtown Ft. Pierce and the Havert L. Fenn Center. Additionally, Smith served as Chair of the Roundtable of St. Lucie, where he worked with other community leaders to improve the lives of children. As Clerk of the Circuit Court, Smith has focused on providing value to taxpayers for the government service for which they pay, rather than the same old government service to which they’ve grown accustomed. With that in mind, Clerk Smith and the Clerk’s Office adopted a new mission to provide, Amazing Customer Experiences and Operational Excellence from Caring and Knowledgeable Professionals who are Financially Accountable. During his time as clerk, Smith, with the help of the caring and knowledgeable professionals of the office: Reduced the budget by 27 percent. Increased collection rates so those who use the court system pay their fair share. Earned the coveted Best Place to Work designation six years in a row. Provided the Judicial Branch with cutting-edge technology to perform their responsibilities and increase productivity throughout the court system. Raised more than $50,000 to support non-profit causes. Clerk Smith was awarded the Black History Maker Award from the City of Fort Pierce and the Liberty Bell Award for outstanding service to the community from the St. Lucie County Bar Association. Clerk Smith owes his success to the good sense and strong convictions he learned in our community. Smith serves on numerous community boards including: Treasure Coast University Schools (Palm Pointe Research School at Tradition), the Board of Trustees at Lawnwood Regional Medical Center and Heart Institute and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee Counties. Smith is the immediate past president of Florida’s Court Clerks and Comptrollers (FCCC), the statewide, professional association of all elected clerks and comptrollers. Smith\'s election to the FCCC Executive Committee makes him the first clerk from St. Lucie County to serve on the governing board. Clerk Smith has two sons with his wife, Heather Lueke Smith. He is the youngest of four children born to James H. and Carolyn Mackey Smith.