100% Graduation Champion Gets State Recognition
November 17, 2011
Please note: This article was originally published on 11/17/2011. Information and/or dates from past events may be not be relevant for the current school year.
The inaugural winner of the Tennessee School Boards Association School Volunteer Recognition Award is Mid-Cumberland District Winner David B. Smith of Clarksville-Montgomery County. Smith has chosen to award Kenwood High School with the $1,000 grant. Mr. Smith has fully supported and led the Clarksville-Montgomery County program, 100% Graduation is Clarksville’s Business. This campaign was created to unite the community in an effort to support and promote the graduation rate for the students in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. He has been front and center in rallying the community for their support. He has traveled to numerous Tennessee districts to discuss this effort and its benefits. David Smith was there during the kick-off in June 2008, and remains true to this initiative to this day!
Smith, CEO of DBS & Associates Engineering, has made many contributions to ensure the success of this campaign. Through presentations and community outreach, he has signed 16 new partners, hosted “Tour of Schools” for realtors and community leaders, held student workshops to develop peer to peer framework, developed a new video highlighting student success stories, and last but certainly not least, David has helped in raising the graduation rate to 91% in 2010.
In 2011, the Tennessee School Boards Association (TSBA) began the School Volunteer Award Program to honor one school volunteer from each of the Association’s nine developmental district who has distinguished themselves by demonstrating exceptional commitment to volunteerism in a local school district. District winners were announced at this year’s Fall District Meetings held in September. As district winners, these school volunteers were eligible for the statewide award, which includes a $1,000 grant for the public school of the winner’s choice. In order to be considered for this award applicants must have made an outstanding contribution to a Tennessee school district through volunteer service. They also must have exhibited leadership, creativity, cooperation, and hard work in their service to a school, engaged in the creation, organization and or mobilization of volunteers, demonstrated sustained commitment to meeting the district’s needs and helped with a special project or ongoing activities. The district winners and overall winner were decided by a panel of judges made up of TSBA members.