Holley Potts is one of the few employees at Dow Smith Company who doesn’t wear a hard hat. But she has lots of tools she plans to use to improve the lives and careers of everyone in the company.

Potts was recently hired as Dow Smith Company’s new chaplain and life coach. 

“I focus on how people are made and how they work together,” Potts said. “I want to help people achieve career-oriented goals, but also life goals. I want to help envision the life they want and how to get there. I’ll help Dow Smith Company can work together better as a whole.”

President Dow Smith said he realizes it’s rare for a design-build firm to have a chaplain on staff, but that role is one that has been critical to the company’s culture. For five consecutive years, Dow Smith Company has been named a Certified Best Christian Workplace by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute.

“Our mission is to serve Christ in the marketplace,” Smith said. “Whether we’re designing and building a church or a dental office, we recognize there is a spiritual component to all of our work. Having a chaplain like Holley helps us stay rooted in our mission.”

Potts replaces John Key, who held a similar position for 16 years before retiring in 2020. Key will continue to be a spiritual leader for Dow Smith. 

[Want to learn more about Holley? Listen to our podcast.]

Potts started her career in education before going into ministry. She’s been working with churches since 1995. She has a bachelor’s degree in education from Martin Methodist College and a master’s degree in divinity from The University of The South. She has a Life Coaching certification from New Life University, which is connected with Branches Counseling Center in Murfreesboro. Potts is also an accomplished artist. Dow Smith Company purchased many of her paintings several years ago. Her work hangs throughout the company’s office at 205 Sam Hager Street in Smyrna (see below). 

“The best thing I can bring from my church background is understanding how groups can work well together,” Potts said. 

Potts plans to work with Dow Smith Company leadership to determine how she can help them reach goals and then expand to everyone else in the firm. She will lead group training, share messages of encouragement, work to connect with every member of the team and put together resources for growth. 

Potts says she’s excited that a position like hers exists, and she believes it speaks volumes about Dow Smith Company’s dedication to its employees and clients.

“I was impressed that he even has a role like this,” she said. “Who thinks that way? Who thinks forward to take care of his team’s needs like that? The fact that he thinks that way is very impressive to me.”

Dow Smith Company, a Middle Tennessee design-build firm, specializes in commercial, healthcare and church construction projects, ranging from ground-up construction to renovations and additions. Since the company was founded by Dow Smith in 1992, it has worked with hundreds of businesses and churches in Middle Tennessee.