Todd Smith is a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel with over 25 years of public service experience at the local, state, and federal levels A practitioner of servant-leadership and leading locally, Todd spent a career motivating people to improve their own neighborhoods.

Todd was hired in 2011 as Greeneville, Tennessee's first city manager, a role requiring him to successfully navigate the city through Tennessee's worst natural disaster, Hurricane Helene, in 2024. Greeneville and Greene County's response to the flooding exhibited a community prepared to respond to anything put before them. In Saving Local Leadership, Todd identifies the eight virtues of local leadership Greeneville and Greene County implemented to overcome a local disaster. The eight virtues practiced in a rural Appalachian community are duplicable to any community-- simple practices that can make any community better.

Todd started his public service as a missile launch officer commanding a portion of the nation's nuclear inter-continental missile force. After five years of active duty, Todd came home to East Tennessee to attend graduate school and start a career in local government. In 2011, the Greeneville Board of Mayor and Alderman hired Todd to lead the town of Greeneville.

In 2005, Todd re-entered military service as a part-time member of the Tennessee Air National Guard. During his 17-year tenure in the National Guard, Todd directed command and control operations for United States Strategic Command, led a cyber operations division, and worked air operations at the state-wide Joint Force Headquarters in Nashville.

Todd is married to his wife, Rhajon, and has one teenage daughter, Alethea. They live in rural East Tennessee where Todd is often in the surrounding mountains or on a local river fly fishing. Todd is a self described "history nerd" traveling around the world to visit historic sites and battlefields.

Motivated by his passion for leadership, Todd hopes this work will inspire you to make your community stronger. We can all change the world if we all change our neighborhood.

© 2025 toddsmithleadership.com