Biography |
Senator Shirley A. Smith was elected to the Ohio Senate in November 2006 after serving eight years in the Ohio House of Representatives as the State Representative for the Ohio’s 10th House District, located in Cleveland. She currently serves as the Assistant Minority Leader and the Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Government Oversight. Senator Smith is also a member of the Senate Committees on Finance & Financial Institutions; Health, Human Services, & Aging; and Criminal Justice.
Senator Smith is a strong advocate for the poor, the disenfranchised, and minorities across the State of Ohio. Her genuine concern for the socially and economically disadvantaged is demonstrated through the bills she has endorsed and introduced as a legislator. She continues to focus on the critical issues of health care disparities between African-Americans, Latinos, and other races; affordable healthcare for all Ohioans; and creating job opportunities for the disenfranchised.
She has been featured in Cleveland Magazine for her achievements as a legislator and in the Crusader Magazine for her work against Ohio’s application of the death penalty. In May of 2006, she was presented the Legislator of the Year Award for her work in the field of dental hygiene. She also gained national attention for her work as an advocate for criminal justice issues when she appeared on Fox’s “The Morning Show with Mike & Juliet” and on MSNBC.
In 2008, she was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Coverage Initiative (SCI) for state healthcare reform. In August 2009, the Governor appointed her to the Ohio Minority Business Advisory Council. She currently serves as Secretary on the Board of the Chairman’s Leadership Forum and as Regional Director for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.
Senator Smith began her career not as a public servant, but as a sales/marketing executive for some of America’s top corporations. For the past seven years, in addition to her positions in the Ohio General Assembly, Senator Smith has worked as a consultant for the Cleveland Coca-Cola Bottling Company.
