Dusty Smithenry

Dusty Smithenry, a 2004 Newton Community High School graduate, has been a beacon of adaptability and strategic decision-making from a young age. Initially, his passion for sports led him towards a career in athletic training and physical therapy. However, a shift in the industry’s requirements during his sophomore year at Olney Central College presented a significant hurdle. Faced with the need for a doctorate-level education, Dusty chose to shift courses. He reevaluated his options, weighed the pros and cons of various options, and decided to pivot, showcasing his resilience and determination.

Dusty walks me through his process, saying, “So I asked myself, what am I interested in? Math was always something I excelled in. I also wanted to stay local, and Eastern Illinois University was the closest university to home. They had a good business department, Lumpkin College of Business, so I studied finance there.”

Dusty was born and raised in Jasper County, attending Ste. Marie, which he says was Jasper East at the time. He attended Newton Community High School, where he played sports, including track, football, and basketball, which he considers his favorite. He was also very active in FFA, a program he continues to believe in and support.

“The one thing I would tell you is when you look at the farm families around here. There are a lot of ag families where one son farms, then you have another child who is a lawyer, a doctor, or whatever. Then you have another child that does something completely different. And all of them come together at Christmas. And just think of the conversations. But that’s kind of how Jasper County is, hard-working people,” says Dusty.

Dusty’s commitment to his community is unwavering. While he had hoped to return to Jasper County after graduating from college, he remained open to opportunities, wondering whether he’d find a finance position in or out of the area. “I knew this is where I wanted to be. It was just a matter of, where does this [job search] lead me to?” His dedication to his roots is a testament to his strong community ties.

“If anybody ever wanted to see Jasper County. I would tell them to come to watch a football game when we’re in the playoffs, and you’ve got thousands of people in the stands from Jasper County watching a football game. That’s what Jasper County is. It’s a place where people help people,” says Dusty.

He continues, “And the best thing I can say about the area is the togetherness. You have so many families here, bigger families that overlap. The family togetherness of this area is wonderful. Just come to a football game some night when we’re in the playoffs, and you can see the pride of the people in Newton and Jasper County.”

Upon graduating from EIU, Dusty was able to stay local and quickly landed a position at the Case IH Dealership in Newton, where he spent a decade learning multiple aspects of the business. He says that while he started in parts, he quickly began helping in service and has since held store manager and parts manager positions.

Today, Dusty is married to Kim, and they have four children, who are between nine and one year old. His oldest three, all boys, attend Jasper County. After ten years with Case IH, he transitioned to working as an Assistant Vice President focused mainly on agriculture lending for Peoples State Bank. He’s been at Peoples for the last six years, and while his specialty is ag lending, he also assists with commercial lending if and as needed. He also sits on the Jasper County Economic Board, focusing on attracting businesses and encouraging the community to buy locally.

From FFA to studying finance to learning the aspects of running a tractor dealership to working in agriculture finance, Dusty’s path likely seems far more obvious in retrospect than it did along the way. Ultimately, Dusty attributes success to hard work and personal care. He suggests that you can move up in most jobs rather quickly by showing up, caring, and taking a little initiative.

“Just be more zoned into what’s going on,” says Dusty. He adds, “Try to pick up as much knowledge as you can because when you get out of college, a lot of it is learning on the job. You can learn as much as you can, but working in a dealership, working at a bank, you’re in sales. And that’s something that’s hard to teach. You just have to have a knack for talking.”

As we’re finishing our conversation, we ask Dusty what he might share with his younger self or the NCHS graduates headed into their future today. Dusty pauses briefly and smiles before admitting a simple truth that likely resonates with many of us (I know it did with me). “My FFA advisors, I always tell them that, gosh, I wish I would have taken more initiative in your classes and tried just a little bit harder. Not just doing the work, but trying to do as well as I could.”

We can always try harder, and put forward just a little extra effort, but from where we sit, it looks like this 2004 NCHS graduate has done a pretty fine job serving his family, his employer, and his community.