Chris Smith

Chris Smith

• Candidate Biography

  Raised in a working-class home by a single mom, struggle has defined Chris’ life. His mother left his abusive father following the birth of his brother. His deadbeat father later fled the state to evade child support, leaving his mother to raise two boys alone, scraping by working second and third shift in factories to make ends meet.

  After graduating from high school, Chris enlisted in the Air Force where he served four years as an F-15 crew chief. Following his service, Chris worked in factories while studying for the FAA certification exam to become an aircraft mechanic. He then worked in aviation for nearly a decade, suffering through multiple layoffs and low pay before leaving the industry to attend college full time..

  Chris became a first generation college graduate in 2012 after graduating from UNC-Chapel Hill. He earned a Master of Arts in Religious Studies from Wake Forest University in 2014. Chris then spent two years pursuing a Ph.D. in Religious Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill before dropping out in 2017 due to family constraints. Chris now works in cybersecurity and lives in Mebane with his wife and four of their five children.

• What motivated you to run for Alamance County Board of Commissioners?

  As a father to public school children, I want to make sure our county's schools are the best they can be. We need more public school champions in county leadership.

• What is your vision for the future of Alamance County, and how will your actions on the Board of Commissioners support that vision?

  Good schools, safe communities, better representation for all. I will fight to fully fund our public schools. I will support our first responders. I will advocate for a more transparent and accessible county government that represents all parts of our county.

• What are the three most significant needs for Alamance County that require the immediate attention of the Board of Commissioners?

  Repair and upgrade our public school buildings, make sure our sheriff's department and emergency management services are fully staffed and equipped, properly manage our county's growth

• How would you approach issues of taxation, budget prioritization, and resource allocation?

  Taxes should remain as low as possible while providing quality services to our citizens. To do this, we have to prioritize what is most important. In my view, that is public education and public safety. We should also establish an incentive program for county employees who help save the county money by submitting an idea to become more efficient or by simply identifying fraud, waste, or abuse. Our employees on the front lines know more than elected officials what is happening on the ground and are in the best position to help us save money.

• How should the Board of Commissioners be approaching land development planning and preparing for future growth and development in Alamance County?

  Our county currently has almost no planning whatsoever. We must control our growth or our growth will control us. I want to engage everyone in our county from business leaders to our community members to come us with solutions that work for the good of our county.

• What is required for an effective relationship between the ABSS Board of Education and Alamance County Commissioners, and how will you work toward that as an elected official? 

  Trust and an understanding of the hard decisions each board must make. There has been too much distrust and finger pointing. We need these boards to hold more joint meetings and collaborate more closely.

• How do you plan to work with other local governments, state agencies, and community organizations to achieve the county’s goals?

  We learn best from others. I fully support going to other agencies and counties to see what has worked and what hasn't for them. We need more of that in local government.

• How do you plan to engage constituent voices in the decisions of the Board of Commissioners? 

  I will make myself available and open to all citizens of our county by explaining all important votes in detail via social media. I will respond to emails and messages in a timely manner. I will work to make our meetings more accessible by pushing for a larger meeting space, adjusting rules for public comments so that there is no time limit, and allowing commissioners to respond to public comments earlier instead of at the end of the meetings so that our citizens can hear from their leaders regarding their concerns.

• Please share a specific leadership experience that illustrates how you will be effective as a leader for Alamance County.

  As a father to four very different children, I've learned that there is no one leadership style that works universally. Different people have different needs and respond to different motivators. The most important thing in leadership is a willingness to meet people where they are and find ways to help them in a manner that best suits their unique personalities.