Local roots, new perspective: Smith finds growth through Leadership Coshocton

Kaden Smith is a Coshocton County native who grew up in West Lafayette. He attended Ridgewood Local Schools and graduated in 2020. During his years in high school, he played football, basketball and baseball and was a member of the 2019 baseball team that went to state. He also earned second-team All-Ohio for baseball. A member of National Honor Society, Smith took College Credit Plus coursework from Muskingum University and Stark State College at Ridgewood.

Smith attributes the 2020 COVID year to playing a big part in the last five years of his life. His transition to college was impacted, as he was accepted to Ohio State University's main campus but went to OSU-Newark campus because everything was online. He said it was an adjustment to stay at home all the time after being in school with his friends. His sophomore year he moved to the main campus and graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration - Finance.

Smith said he went to college not knowing what he wanted to do. He was interested in math education or something to do with math or numbers. Between his sophomore and junior years in college, he interned with H. Dewey Thompson Financial Service part-time and learned administrative things.

Smith was welcomed back for a second summer internship for full-time work. During this second internship, Smith learned more about the business and got to meet many of Dewey’s clients.

Following graduation from OSU, Smith was offered a position with Dewey Thompson, which worked well as he wanted to move back to Coshocton, and the opportunity to work for Dewey Thompson allowed him to return home.

As a financial adviser, Smith said he helps people pursue financial independence through financial planning with the resources available to them. He said his role has grown since first starting in June 2024, as he has learned more about administrative work, the software used for financial planning and the computer system.

Smith also earned his designation as a registered Social Security analyst. He prepares client meetings and completes the necessary follow-up communication. He has learned a lot about that side of the business, as well as starting to develop his own clients. He recognizes his age could be a deterrent but also said it helps him relate to younger people who are in the accumulation phase of their financial life and not necessarily planning for retirement.

Smith said he appreciates Dewey’s client-first mentality, which he is trying to emulate as he creates relationships and builds business.

Smith is a member of the Elks Club in Coshocton and the Kiwanis Club of Coshocton.

Dewey Thompson and Smith discussed ways to get more involved in the community, and Leadership Coshocton was brought up as a way to learn about what is going on. Smith said he wants to get more involved in the community, meet more people and become more familiar with what’s going on.

Smith said, “So far I’ve learned a lot about Coshocton and organizations I didn’t know about. Being a leader, you need to know what’s going on.”

When asked his view of the community, Smith emphasized the importance of family. He said he was drawn to return as his family is here and he has a career he’s passionate about. Smith also pointed out the good things happening in the community — people making active efforts to attract younger people to stay or return after college, people creating opportunities and jobs for younger people, people that love Coshocton and give their best efforts to make it an attractive place to live and be part of a community.

"It’s a great place to live and raise a family. There are great school districts here,” Smith said. “To make the county stronger, we need people who are willing to step up and lead.”

He pointed to both large employers and small businesses in the area for their roles in supporting the local economy and reinvesting in the community.

Smith said he would recommend LCC for others.

“From the leadership aspect, you learn more about yourself as a leader and are given tools to tweak your leadership abilities and skills and also improve public speaking. The capacities in the curriculum contribute and help get your mind thinking in a different way — to think more like a leader. You also learn more about what’s going on here in Coshocton, learn the history and current events. If you’re in a leadership role, this is a great program to go through,” he said.

Smith said 2025 was a year of firsts for him. He bought his first house earlier this year and was married in early October to his middle school sweetheart Paige. She teaches first grade in the River View Local School District. His close-knit family includes four nephews and two nieces, and his family still gathers for Sunday dinners.