Van Smith of Billingsley has served on CAEC’s Board of Trustees since May 1994. Smith has earned his Credentialed Cooperative Director and Board Leadership certificates as well as the Director Gold certificate awarded by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He represents CAEC on the Board of Trustees of PowerSouth, CAEC’s generation and transmission provider, where he currently serves on the Nominating Committee, Engineering & Operations Committee and as PowerSouth’s Board representative on the Alabama Rural Electric Association (AREA) board. Smith, along with the other CAEC Trustees, is the only Board in the nation to be 100 percent Board member and spouse at the Presidential level commitment to the nonpartisan rural electric political action committee (ACRE). Before joining the CAEC Board, he and his late wife, Ann, represented CAEC at the Alabama Council of Cooperative’s Annual Co-op Couples Conference and served as the host couple the following year. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Agri-Science Education from Auburn University, a Master’s degree in Agri-Science Education from Alabama A&M and a K-12 Certification in Administrative Education from the University of Montevallo.

Smith taught Agri-Science for 13 years and served as assistant principal of Billingsley School for eight years before becoming principal in 1998, a position he held until his retirement in 2013. He has been active in many professional and civic groups. Smith serves on the board of the Autauga County Cattlemen’s Association; he served as president for four years and as a current board member of the Alabama Farmer’s Federation; and currently serves as the County Treasurer. He worked with the National FFA Livestock Evaluation Career Development Event committee for 34 years and served as the committee Superintendent from 2008-2014. He also serves as Superintendent of the Autauga Agribition Livestock Show for the past 19 years. He was appointed by the Governor in 2014 to fill the unexpired term of A.G. Carter as the District 3 Autauga County Commissioner and was elected to serve a four year term in 2016. Smith was elected to represent Alabama State House District 42 in 2019. The seat represents Autauga and Chilton counties and was left vacant after the passing of Rep. Jimmy Martin.

Smith and his family have been members of CAEC since 1980. He has three sons, one daughter and nine grandchildren. Smith and his wife, Fran, are active members of Indian Grave Baptist Church.