Some people can’t wait to get out of their hometown. The moment they turn 18, or the moment they graduate from high school, they take off. Some come back, others don’t. Many of them may have left for a good reason, or simply because they were ready for something different.
Then there are people like Darren Rutherford.
Born and raised in Shawnee, that’s still the city that Rutherford proudly claims as home. As so many of us know, there’s just no place like home. For Rutherford, Shawnee isn’t just his home, it’s where his family has built a business over the years and put down deep roots. Fred’s Tire and Battery, the family business that Rutherford has been involved with since he was a kid, has been a pillar in the Shawnee community for years, and it’s what keeps Rutherford busy when he’s not serving as the Commissioner for Ward 4 in town.
While most people get involved in their local government or community boards at some point during their adult life for one reason or another, Rutherford has a real passion for seeing the people around him succeed, and more than anything, that passion is what he says keeps him motivated to stay involved in his community. “The forward momentum that we’ve accomplished over the last three and a half years, that’s done a lot for Shawnee, and it’s important that we keep that going,” he said. “That ‘hometown feel’ comes from a healthy town.”
While his passion for his work as commissioner is evident, Rutherford has also poured a considerable amount of his time and energy into seeing programs that can benefit the community come to life, including helping to establish ‘Cops N Kids’, an educational event that allows kids and community members to learn about different aspects of law enforcement inspired by Rutherford’s father, and the Little Olympics program from the local Kiwanis Club, where Rutherford has served as a co-chair for the event in the past.
Active in the Wallace Avenue Baptist Church as well as an active member in the community, Rutherford’s roots in Shawnee, and Oklahoma, run deep. Not a stranger to hard work, as many of us can relate to, Rutherford has taken his passion, his efforts, and his motivation to not only make plans and dreams for the future, but to help bridge gaps and open doors now, where there’s still a need.
Darren and his wife Denoda are both very active within the community. As a local insurance agent the two make a great team and are willing to do whatever it takes to help grow an improve the quality of life in Shawnee.
Above all, he’s just a regular person who, whether at work or for the community, simply does what he can to bring goodness back.
Please consider following and supporting Darren during this journey.
