Dee Smith recognized

Bakersfield High School 1988 graduate Dee Smith, daughter of Jerry and Peggy Plachy of West Plains, was recognized recently by Springfield-based general contractor DeWitt & Associates during Women in Construction Week. Smith, who grew up on her family’s Ozark County farm, which she now owns, serves as DeWitt’s safety manager after being promoted last year. Before joining the general contractor, she worked for several years at Ozark County Farm Bureau in Gainesville and Farmers Insurance in risk management before graduating from Texas A&M’s Engineering Department in 2015. She is responsible for ensuring that DeWitt job sites comply with Occupational and Safety Health Administration guidelines as well as federal and state laws. Smith is married to Darren Smith of Darren’s Autoworks. She notes that DeWitt & Associates is scheduled to begin construction later this spring of Bakersfield School’s FEMA shelter.