New District 3 Chattanooga City Councilman Ken Smith has been involved in politics a number of years, both from the spectator side and serving within campaigns. Smith said his political involvement stemmed from his community involvement, which included serving on the boards of several local nonprofits.
“The next progression for me was to go ahead and enter the arena of politics myself to get to that next level of being able to impact the community in positive ways,” he said.
Smith also serves as chief information officer of the Johnson Group, a marketing and advertising firm. Prior to his current position, he owned his own business for 10 years. He said he specializes in using technology to improve efficiencies in business.
Smith said he is excited about the direction the new administration is taking.
“We’ve really needed a refresher for a great many years,” he said. “So far I’ve been very encouraged and very excited at how the current administration is willing to engage the City Council and make sure to keep them involved and informed of things going on, and that’s a big step in my mind.”
Smith said he is looking forward to putting his campaign goals into action, including working with the administration to stay focused on funding essential services and taking care of taxpayers’ basic needs.
“We have to put our public safety and our infrastructure as top priorities,” he said. “They’ve taken a back seat for many years now.”