Goochland County Chamber of Commerce

Sam A. Smith, Senior Consultant with Dominion Benefits says there are three things he never thought he would see. A lifelong resident of Goochland County, he never thought he would be able to see the lights of a big business like Dominion Chevrolet from his front yard; he never thought he would see Broad Street Road become a four lane divided highway in front of his house; and he never thought he would see Route 288 completed.

 Smith may be surprised at how quickly these changes have come about, but the challenges of balancing a love and appreciation for the rural nature of the county with the needs of a growing population and business community are not new to him.

 A charter member of the Goochland County Chamber of Commerce and its first President, he remembers that it was difficult to convince some area businesses that an organization like the Chamber of Commerce would be beneficial to them. About 10 to 15 people came together to start the Chamber in 1979, including Smith, Bill Nelson, Frank Mealy, Frank Taylor and Garland Toney. They met at the Goochland High School for the first six months, and worried that no one would come to the first annual dinner because they were charging $8 a plate. In fact, close to 60 members and guest came that night and today the Chamber has over 400 members. Attendance at last year’s annual dinner at Luck Stone’s new corporate headquarters topped 220. Smith says the first Executive Director, Marian Elam, who served for 25 years, was a great cheerleader and helped establish a strong foundation for the organization. Today’s Executive Director, Doris Elderman, has built on that foundation and broadened the programs, increased membership and set the stage for its future growth.

Smith comes by his business acumen naturally. His parents ran three different businesses in Goochland County: the Bohemia Service Station and Forrest’s Tavern on Route 6, and Smith’s Motel on Route 250. “I spent my life there mowing grass every Saturday during the summer,” says Smith about the motel, which was one of three in Goochland at the time.

After graduating from Goochland High School, Smith went to work for Seaboard Coast Line Railroad and also served in the United States Marine Corps 2nd Marine Air Wing from 1968 – 1972. In 1976, he leased the old Ellis’ Store building in Centerville at the corner of Broad and Manakin Road and opened Smith’s General Store, which sold everything from cupcakes to horse feed. After 10 years he sold that location and opened a hardware store in the Broadview Shopping center located across the street. Smith and his wife, Bobbie, kept that business until 1992, when it was also sold.  

He took most of that year off, and then responded to his friend Lloyd Hick’s invitation to enter the life and health insurance business with Life Insurance Company of Georgia. Smith joined Kennedy, Partridge & Associates in 1995 which started his career in the employee benefits field. Kennedy Partridge and Associates merged with Dominion Benefits in 2005. Located in Innsbrook, Dominion Benefits develops benefit plans customized to fit each client organization’s culture, philosophy, objectives and competitive environment.

In addition, Dominion Benefits has developed a patented analytic system to evaluate employer health plans for its clients which include Ukrop’s Supermarkets, the University of Richmond and the Christian Children’s Fund.

As a Senior Consultant with hands-on experience as a businessman, Smith specializes in the administration of small and mid size employer benefit plans, and is a Chartered Life Underwriter, a Chartered Financial Consultant, a Registered Employee Benefits Consultant and a Registered Investment Advisor.

To get to work, Smith travels through the booming commercial development of Short Pump, and says he is sometimes surprised by the changes he sees. Smith is full of stories about how things used to be in Goochland. He can tell you about the Tri State Gang gangsters Robert Mais and Walter Legenza, who ran Forrest’s Tavern and Club Forrest on Route 6. He remembers when he was a boy how John Storosky used his expertise in setting dynamite to help them blow stumps off what is now Whippoorwill Road in Samary Forest, and the thrill of lighting the fuse and running for cover. And he can tell you about all the travelers and truckers that used to pass through Centerville before I-64 was completed. He can share many stories of his years as an active member of the Goochland Vol. Fire-Rescue Department, Inc. of which he is now a Lifetime member.

Hopefully, Smith will write it all down some day for his granddaughter, Samantha Elizabeth Smith, who he describes as “his eyeballs.”

He also admits that the changes haven’t all been bad. “I like the rural character of Goochland County even though I know that growth is inevitable,” Smith says, “but I do enjoy the closer conveniences we have today, too.” Sam can be reached at ssmith@DominionBenefits.com or by phone at 804-747-5300 ext. 310.