Letter: Rick Smith announces candidacy for Select Board

Rick Smith, a resident of Marshfield, is announcing his candidacy for the Select Board of Marshfield at the forthcoming spring 2026 Select Board elections. All his life, Rick has been committed to serving his community. As an Eagle Scout, much of his work was serving his community. Right after high school, Rick enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves. He was called to serve in active duty as a combat infantry advisor and saw combat in Fallujah and Mosul in Iraq. Rick is a disabled veteran, a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Veteran Services and member of the subcommittee on Mental Health. Rick is also a member of the Marshfield VFW post.

In Marshfield, Rick served on the Marshfield Advisory Board, serving as Chair of the board in his second year. Known for asking tough questions, he has been lauded for his service having brought enhanced accountability, transparency, and fiscal responsibility to the budget process.

After working his way through college, Rick began work in environmental services rising to the position of Vice President of Finance for SourceOne, a Boston-based energy engineering services company. He went on to serve as Vice President of Operations for Veolia, the largest environmental services company in the world, where he oversaw operations of water and waste-water districts in several cities in southern California.

Today, Rick is Vice President of development for Vicinity Energy, the largest district energy company in the United States. His work includes serving large cities across the east coast on major energy infrastructure projects.

Rick and his wife Jenn have two children who attend Marshfield public schools and they are active community volunteers. Jenn works as a behavioral analyst with autistic children. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University and an MBA from UCLA.

On why Rick is running:

“The town of Marshfield is a big business with a $120M budget and 1,500 employees. As an executive, I have been responsible for solving complex problems involving hundreds of millions of dollars. I’ve worked with large departments and across multiple departments to bring people together to deliver real results. I want to do the same for our town. To be effective, our select board needs more than good intentions. We need leaders who understand how government works, how to tackle complex problems, and how to bring people together to accomplish a shared vision. I have the experience and training to get the job done.”

“My wife Jenn and I love living in Marshfield. Our kids are attending the public schools here and we are active in community affairs. This is our home; it’s where we are raising our family. I’m running for a seat on the Select Board because I believe that I can make a real difference.”