City of Hilliard issued the following announcement on February 15.
The City has added Sam Smith as a Recovery Court Coordinator in the Hilliard Mayor’s Court.
Smith brings 19 years of experience in the criminal justice and community corrections field, most recently working for the Xenia City Probation Department. He also worked for the Franklin County Juvenile Court for nearly eight years, and also worked in corrections in Pickaway County.
“I’m extremely excited to work for Hilliard because of the core values the City represents,” Smith said. “I’ve always enjoyed helping people and now I get to do that in the community where I live.”
Smith has resided in Hilliard for the past 20 years. He’s a graduate of Pickerington Central High School and then went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from the University of Findlay.
His daily duties will be to manage the Recovery Court and its participants. Smith said he also hopes to implement a juvenile diversion program in the future.
The mission of the Hilliard Recovery Court is to address the needs of defendants with substance use disorder who face criminal charges by establishing effective treatment as an alternative to incarceration, improving quality of life, and increasing the safety of the community by providing court oversight and linking defendants to appropriate treatment and service providers.
“I think it’s part of our duty as society to help our neighbors during tough times and be the best community we can be together,” Smith said. “We hope to be a model for other Mayor’s Courts across the state and for me to able to be a part of that is pretty special.”
Sam and his wife Kim live in Hilliard with their three dogs.