About Carrie | Elect Carrie Perrien Smith for Benton County Judge

Overview

In addition to her corporate and business-ownership background, Carrie Perrien Smith MBA brings over 24 years of community leadership experience with more than 20 volunteer organizations. She uses her business experience, people skills, and ability to solve problems to address our county’s issues.

Carrie has called Rogers home since 1993 and has lived in District 5 for more than 20 years. She has followed local government affairs for the last 14 years, so she knows the issues. She is a diligent listener who works to find solutions and treats everyone with respect. She is a conservative collaborative leader who is faithful to God, the Bible, and the U.S. and Arkansas Constitutions.

She has a proven track record of being responsive to Benton County citizens — even before she served in public office. Benton County is the economic engine of Arkansas. Carrie will make sure constituents are considered in every decision. She fight for the needs of Benton County in with state and federal legislators but her constituents, their needs, and their livelihoods will dictate our county’s agenda and decisions.

Carrie saw the need for the initiatives on her platform more than three years ago. They are real solutions to critical issues and deliver value to the taxpayers. They capitalize on her diverse skill set. Realizing that she needed to be in the County Judge role to implement them, she spent the last year interviewing subject matter experts to develop her platform. Click here to read her platform.

Why Carrie is the Most Qualified Candidate in This Race

About the Office

Benton County Judge is the chief administrative officer for the county — like a “mayor” for the county. Arkansas is one of only seven states that call their county legislative body the Quorum Court and the elected county representative Justice of the Peace. Similarly, the county administrator is called County Judge.

An article on the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service website provides this explanation: “Over their four-year term, a county judge is responsible for:

Maintaining and having custody of county property
Overseeing public roads and bridges outside city limits
Administering county ordinances
Presiding over the Quorum Court, where the judge has veto power but not a vote
Authorizing county spending or paying of bills
Accepting grants from outside entities
Hiring county employees that don’t work for another county official
Hearing property tax appeals (this is where that judge title comes in)
Meeting with local mayors at least once a year for intergovernmental meetings
In some counties, judges have created community service programs.”

Arkansas Constitution Article 7 § 29. County Judge — Election — Term — Qualifications.
The judge of the county court shall be elected by the qualified electors of the county for the term of four years. He or she shall be at least twenty-five years of age, a citizen of the United States, an individual of upright character, of good business education, and a resident of the state for two years before his or her election; and a resident of the county at the time of his or her election, and during his or her continuance in office. [As amended by Constitutional Amendment 95]
Constitution Of The State Of Arkansas Of 1874
© 2026 by the State of Arkansas

Carrie’s Experience Sets Her Apart from Her Opponent

Carrie has a proven track records of helping her constituents find ways to resolve issues and making sure their tax dollars are spent wisely. Here are key attributes that give her an advantage in elected office that her opponents lack. She leads with transparency, integrity, and collaboration.

Earned a Master of Science of Business Administration with an emphasis on Leadership and Ethics from John Brown University in 2002. Her first college degrees were technical associate of applied science degrees. To this day, she is a champion for vocational and technical trade education.
Faithful to the Bible and the U. S. and Arkansas Constitutions.
Member of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers and Gun Owners of Arkansas.
Served you as a Justice of the Peace since 2019 — the only candidate in this race with county government experience.
Built her leadership resume serving in over twenty volunteer leadership roles with over twenty nonprofits and professional associations. She has been a champion for small business for over 25 years and has devoted much of her volunteer efforts to helping them succeed.
Her first college degree was an Associate of Applied Science double major in technical drafting and technical illustration. This means she didn’t just learn to read blueprints; she learned to draw and read them and can envision them in finished form. That is an important skill because the county judge oversees construction and improvement of county facilities and roads.
Spent the first thirteen years of her career in the corporate arena in publishing and corporate communication arenas. She has been self-employed for over twenty years delivering solutions to small and medium size companies through training, communication, publishing, and branding.
Carrie has an unparalleled grasp of communication strategy and a commitment to ensuring transparency and adherence to the Freedom of Information Act.
In both paid consulting roles and volunteer mentoring roles, she has helped small business owners and medium size companies develop solutions to their pressing challenges — asking the right questions and leading teams to develop next-level solutions.
Was an affiliate member of NOARK, our Human Resources association here in Northwest Arkansas for ten years. She attended almost every meeting which means she attended about 70 to 80 continuing education credit programs, not counting attending their conferences.
Has a keen sense for recruiting talent and creating opportunities to bring their personal genius to their role. She believes in training and mentoring employees and creating a workplace that offers opportunity to grow and learn.
Is a skilled verbal and written communicator. She listens for meaning and inquires deeper for understanding — a key skill she brings to consulting conversations, crisis communications, conflict resolution, training, and mentoring. She brings a writing and editing skill set to the roles that will ensure processes, policies, and procedures will be clear, relevant to today’s county government, and transparent.
Skilled at handling difficult situations with tact, respect, and elegance. She consistently treats people with respect and possesses a servant heart.
Is a strategic thinker, problem solver, and skilled project manager. She enjoys designing and refining processes.
Is a collaborative leader who hopes to create opportunities to include justices of the peace in conversations for policy making, future plans, and problem solving more than they’ve been included in the past. She looks for the win for as many people as possible.
Engages with voters and constituents between campaigns. That enables her to carry your concerns into county government and make your life and livelihood a priority in decision making. She is not beholden to other elected officials and special interests.
Is a lifelong learner and a thirty-year student of leadership. She follows national and regional economic and energy policy.
Her experience as a single mom in her thirties working for a poverty-level wage in a job she loved gives her a unique perspective that helps her relate to the majority of our taxpayers. She completed her bachelor degree in organizational management as a single parent working full time.

“I’ve fought for you in county government for the last seven years. Now, I’m asking you to elect me to be your County Judge.”

Your County Judge must be experienced in county government to best serve as the county’s chief executive.

Carrie has served you as a Justice of the Peace on the Benton County Quorum Court since 2019. This legislative body oversees county financial affairs. We work to address issues and exercise wise stewardship of your tax dollars.

Carrie has built a record of servant-leadership; community, business, and county government experience; with a Master of Science in Business Administration (MBA); and a proven commitment to serve our citizens and businesses. She fought for practical conservative stewardship of your taxpayer dollars. She listened to you. If it mattered to you, it mattered to her.

We can do more in local government to control costs and improve quality of life using collaboration, innovation, technology, and, most of all, efficiency.

She never forgets that she works for you.

Details for the Media

Contact Info

carrie@carrieworksforyou.com
479.903.0208 mobile/text

Profile

Carrie Perrien Smith, MBA

Age: 60

Residency: Moved to Rogers in 1993 after seven years in Dallas. Born and raised in Sapulpa, OK (a Tulsa suburb). Has lived in District 5 a total of 25 years and in Benton County for 32 years.

Career: Communications, marketing, and branding consultant

Family: Husband Tom Smith; daughter Darcie, and her children, Robert and Amara; two rescued and now ridiculously spoiled dogs, Koko and Mittens.

Education: John Brown University, MBA with Emphasis on Leadership and Ethics; John Brown University, BS in Organizational Management; AAS in Drafting and Technical Illustration, Oklahoma State Tech

Political Experience: Serving her fourth term as a Justice of the Peace on the Quorum Court and currently seeking the office of County Judge. Before running for JP, she unsuccessfully ran for city council and mayor in Rogers.

Community Involvement: Leadership roles include Benton County Conservative Grassroots, Benton County Republican Women, Women in Networking, Cancer Challenge, Toastmasters International, Creative Referral Network Rogers, NWA Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development, National Speakers Association – Oklahoma Chapter, Oakdale Junior High Band Boosters. Other extensive community service roles include SCORE (Counselors to America’s Small Business), Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Benton County, Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce, Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement, Northwest Arkansas Children’s Museum (now Amazeum) Marketing Committee, NOARK Diversity Committee, The Joseph Project, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), and the Northwest Arkansas Chapter of the American Red Cross.