GREENVILLE, S.C.–Kerri Smith, the South Carolina regional president for Self-Help Credit Union, is running for a seat in the state legislature. Smith, a Republican, is running for State House District 28.
In a statement announcing her candidacy, Smith said she is a “seasoned leader and advocate for community growth” who has a “distinguished background in finance, community development, and non-profit work” who is “poised to bring a fresh and common sense approach to addressing the challenges facing South Carolina.”
In her platform, Smith said she is emphasizing “the need to be pragmatic and fiscally conservative in tackling the state's rapid growth. As a strategic collaborator, she aims to work with fellow legislators, citizens, and state agencies to find cost-effective solutions that address root causes rather than symptoms.”
The seat is currently held by Republican Ashley Trantham, who was first elected in 2022.
Smith, who has been in credit unions for 37 years and is a Credit Union Development Educator (she coordinated the program for several years), said Trantham has “not been supportive on issues that impact credit unions and credit union members.”
Key Areas of Focus
Smith said her key areas of focus include:
- Growth & Infrastructure
- Small Business
- Healthy Families
- Education
- Law Enforcement
Credit Union Background
In her campaign announcement, Smtih notes she oversees retail operations and strategic partnerships at Self Help CU across the state, adding she has a “diverse background that includes contributions to over 50 credit unions in the United States and six countries.
“As a nationally award-winning leader, business development professional, and author of the memoir ‘Drive Into Daylight: Navigating Life with Faith and Gratitude,’ Kerri's commitment to community economic development is evident through her work with nearly 25 non-profit organizations in Greenville,” Smith continued.
Lessons from Childhood
Smith’s campaign materials note she was born in Panama City, Fla. and raised as a U.S. Coast Guard “brat,” which meant four different duty stations and attending 12 schools by the 10th grade, which she said helped lay the “foundation for her life's work
Smith’s website can be found at www.kerriforhouse.com.
The Best Way to Start a New Year. With Something Free.
The biggest, best and freshest news reporting in credit unions remains free! Each morning CUToday.info delivers its daily Fresh Today news update offering the latest headlines and breaking news right to your email, with the easy-to-read headlines format allowing you to click on the stories that interest you most in order to learn more. So stop paying those bank-fee-like subscription prices from other so-called “news” publications!
If you haven’t yet signed up for the new email solution on which CUToday.info has partnered with ResponseGenius, you can do so here. Signing up requires less than one minute of your time—and it’s free!
Please note that after signing up you may need to go to your Spam/Junk folder and mark the morning headlines email as safe. CUToday.info does not provide its list of readers and emails to outside parties, and we will not be contacting you to sell you an extended warranty or sending you any links so you may cash in on an inheritance you didn’t know was coming.
And did we mention it’s free?