Becoming the vocational instructor was a way to do construction and give back and teach the kids.
David Peters – Vocational Supervisor, Smith County Juvenile Services
David Peters was honored during Commissioners Court on Tuesday, April 29, for his 10 years of service supervising the Smith County Juvenile Services’ vocational training program.
Peters had extensive experience in commercial and residential construction before joining the Juvenile Services team.
Smith County Juvenile Services Director Ross Worley said 10 years ago, they had grant money and a vision to build a residential facility for juvenile offenders that was vocation-based. Out of that vision, the H.O.P.E. (Helping Others Pursue Excellence) Academy was born.
Peters had retired from owning his own construction contracting business when he learned about what Worley was working on.
“Becoming the vocational instructor was a way to do construction and give back and teach the kids,” Peters said. “I have always loved construction.”
The first of its kind in Texas, the H.O.P.E. Academy is a six-to-nine-month residential program for male juvenile offenders, focusing on behavior modification and family/parent relationships. The children work with probation officers, counselors and volunteers, including a chaplain. Its vocational program includes woodworking, auto mechanics, welding, gardening and life skills classes.
Worley said the H.O.P.E. Academy has seen a 90 percent success rate during the last decade.
“David is a big, big reason for that,” he said. “Today we congratulate you, David.”
Peters has worked with the juvenile probationers on several projects, including building cedar benches and convertible benches, which can be turned into picnic tables; pouring concrete, building stairs, walls, sheds and other items for the Juvenile Services Department; and constructing ramps for disabled people at homes throughout Smith County with the Texas Ramp Association. They have also refurbished old chairs and court benches taken out of the Smith County Courthouse and they built the podium used in the Commissioners Courtroom. They even built a tiny house under Peters’ direction.
Now, Peters is helping oversee the renovation of the Juvenile Services facility, Worley said.
Smith County congratulates Peters on his anniversary and thanks him for his decade of service.
