CHARLIE SMITH
2013
Sellersburg town manager
Charlie Smith is a man with many connections made
throughout a career that relies on trust and strong
relationships.
Recognition on the 20 Under 40 list came from his
work at the Home Builders Association of Southern Indi-
ana. Smith, however, wanted to broaden the scope of that
operation.
The group eventually became the Building and Develop-
ment Association of Southern Indiana, with Smith serving
as CEO.
“We were coming out of a recession,” he said. “From
there, really it just became about building that organization
back. We changed the mission from just homes to the entire
construction industry and the businesses that supported
them. We became more of an advocacy group, which obvi-
ously took quite a bit of time.”
The expanded role required Smith to become active on
the local, state and federal levels of the development pro-
cess. His philosophy wasn’t one of growth for the sake of
growth, but of smart growth.
With the industry hungry to get back to building in a
revived economy, there was a massive push for new devel-
opment. It was Smith’s job to pull on the reins, so to speak,
and to lay out a vision of what was best for communities
not just tomorrow, but decades down the road.
“In doing that, it allowed me to build a pretty broad
scope of relationships,” he said. “When you work as an
advocate, it’s very important to establish that trust with
those people and to not really take sides. It’s to be a true
advocate. It’s about being trusted.”
Comprehensive planning is key to developing an area
properly. Some communities like Jeffersonville have done a
great job of that, Smith said.
Regionalism is also an important component, in that
what one community does inevitably affects its neighboring
municipalities.
Through his expertise and connections, Smith found a
new line of work. Rather than thinking about a region as a
whole, he wanted to help build a specific community.
That’s when he got the opportunity to become Sellers-
burg’s first town manager. Each community has it’s own
unique identity, he said, and it was important to craft what
Sellersburg would represent.
“When this new council was elected, they recognized
the potential that the Town of Sellersburg has,” Smith said.
“We have those conversations about the struggles they’re
facing versus other communities. I had a unique skill set to
bring all of that together. Instead of focusing broadly, the
town manager position allows me to focus in that municipal
area to start to see what other communities have done dur-
ing their growth period over the last decade and apply those
to Sellersburg.”
In the coming years, Smith will work with the council to
identify goals for the town, at which point teamwork will
come into play to clear any hurdles and bring that vision to
fruition.
“They want growth,” he said. “Sellersburg is open for
business.”
“WHEN THIS NEW COUNCIL WAS ELECTED, THEY RECOGNIZED
THE POTENTIAL THAT THE TOWN OF SELLERSBURG HAS.
WE HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE STRUGGLES
THEY’RE FACING VERSUS OTHER COMMUNITIES.”
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May / June 2020