Donald B. Smith

Donald Blaine Smith is the 53rd Sheriff of Putnam County, New York and a retired United States Army General. He is a lifelong registered member of the Republican Party, and was first elected Sheriff on November 6, 2001. He assumed the duties of Putnam County Sheriff on January 1, 2002. Immediately prior to becoming the Sheriff of Putnam County, he had served as the Deputy County Executive of Putnam County.

He is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, and also earned a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. Smith is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College and was a Fellow at the National Defense University. His awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal with two oak leaf clusters, and the Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.

Military Career and Background


Sheriff Don Smith was born in Danbury, Connecticut, and grew up in Patterson, New York. His father, Donald B. Smith, was an eight-term Town supervisor of Patterson and one the first advocates for the creation of a County Executive's office and County Legislature in Putnam County. The younger Smith attended the New York Military Academy at Cornwall-on-the-Hudson, New York and graduated in 1965. He then attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, graduating in June 1969 with a Bachelor of Science Degree and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Armor.

During his company grade years he served as a Platoon Leader, Company Executive Officer, Cavalry Troop Commander, Instructor, and Company Tactical Officer in a variety of assignments at Fort Ord, California; Fort Knox, Kentucky; West Point, New York; and in the Republic of Vietnam. His tour in Vietnam included service as both a Platoon Leader and Troop Commander in C Troop, 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry.

Following graduation from the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Smith was assigned for duty in the U.S. Army Europe, where he spent six years in the 8th Infantry Division (Mechanized). While assigned to the Pathfinder Division, he served as Battalion Executive Officer, Deputy G1, Division G1, Battalion Commander, and Division Inspector General. General Smith's command tour with the Division was in Mainz-Gonsenheim, Germany, where he commanded the 4th Battalion, 69th Armor from 1982 to 1984.



Brigadier General Donald B. Smith (RET) After his tour in Europe, Smith returned to the United States where he attended Senior Service College as a fellow at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. After graduating in 1986, he was assigned as the Chief of Armor Branch, followed by service as the Combat Arms Division Chief, both within the Officer Personnel Management Directorate of the Army's Personnel Command. He commanded the 194th Separate Armored Brigade at Fort Knox, Kentucky, from August 1989 to August 1991. Following Brigade Command, Smith served as Deputy Director of Personnel Support Policy and Services in the Office of the Secretary of Defense from September 1991 until September 1993. His final assignment on active duty was with the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas, serving as the Assistant Division Commander for Maneuver through November 1994, followed by service as the Assistant Division Commander for Support.

From 1993 through 1996, Smith also performed the major additional duty of Chief of the United States Delegation to the Conseil International du Sport Militaire (CISM), a world organization consisting of 113 member nations who promote world peace by sponsoring military sports world championships. He served on the Executive Committee of this international organization and also was the President of its Permanent Commission for Information and Public Relations from 1994 through 1996. Smith served as the Chief of Delegation and Chief of Mission for the United States at the First Military World Games in Rome, Italy, in September 1995.

Putnam County Sheriff
On January 1, 2002, Smith became the 53rd Sheriff of Putnam County. In 2005 he ran unopposed and was reelected Sheriff. Smith was re-elected as Sheriff in 2009. He was endorsed by the Republican, Independent, and Conservative parties in 2009 and beat out three opponents, two in the primary and two in the general election. In 2012 Sheriff Smith was elected by his Sheriff peers to serve as the President of the New York State Sheriff's Association (NYSSA). He has garnered national attention throughout the United States and the world and especially in the Hudson Valley and throughout New York State for his leadership in making Putnam County, New York the safest counties within New York State and the safest county in the Hudson Valley. Under Smith, the overall crime rate is the lowest in New York State in 2010, 2011, and 2012 and the only county with the most consistent lowest crime rates over his past 12 years that he has been the Putnam County Sheriff. Smith was re-elect to his fourth term as Sheriff in 2009. On September 10, 2013, Smith won the Republican, Conservative and Independence Party primaries and in effect secured his 4th term as Sheriff.





Personal
In addition to his duties as sheriff, he is also the Chairman and President of the American Security Council Foundation, and is a senior fellow at the Center for Advanced Defense Studies. Smith served as the President of the New York State Sheriff's Association from 2012 to 2013 Smith is also the most recent former President of the Westchester/Putnam Boy Scout Council.

Sheriff Don Smith recently completed a one year term as the President of the New York State Sheriff's Association (NYSSA). Sheriff Don Smith is an outspoken advocate for the United States Constitution, most specifically the 2nd Amendment's Right to Bear Arms. He married Jane Powell in 1972, and they have two children and seven grandchildren.



Sheriff Don Smith has brought together all of law enforcement at the national, state, region and within Putnam County to share information, resources and credit for making Putnam County a safe place to live, work and raise a family. His leadership efforts has made Putnam County designated as the safest County in New York State. Source: NY DJCS 2010, 2011, 2012 Index Crime Statistics.

Electoral history