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For twenty-five years, Dr. James B. Smith has demonstrated progressive, successful leadership and program development of non-profit organizations and private-public partnerships. He has a distinctive record of fundraising, evidenced by increasing revenues and budgets by nearly 300% from $3.6 million to $10 million.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in social sciences, a master’s in public administration, and a doctorate in public policy and administration.

His career began at Coppin State University, where he introduced innovative development measures that resulted in the attraction and retention of high-achieving students to the College and assisted over 200 low-income, first generation students to gain admission to graduate school. He also served as the Chief of Staff for the College of Health Professions at Coppin State University, where he assisted the Dean with providing administrative oversight of the College’s initiatives and activities.  Smith also functioned as the inaugural Managing Director of the Coppin Heights Rosemont Family Computer Center, where he provided leadership and management of a multi-million dollar federal grant that focused on eradicating the digital divide for low-income families across 20 metropolitan neighborhoods in Baltimore City.  He served as President and CEO of the Community Action Council of Howard County, MD, Inc., a non-profit organization that works with low-income families—moving the families out of poverty and into self-sufficiency. There, he delivered strong leadership and guided the growth of the agency’s social service delivery system.

Following his work in higher education and community development, Smith became the first Vice President of the Economic Development Alliance, a private-public partnership representing Baltimore City and its five surrounding and affluent counties.  In his capacity, he developed and executed first-ever business attraction and recruitment initiatives that recruited 10 firms that invested $5.6 billion in private capital investment and created more than 5,000 new jobs. 

From there, Smith was appointed as the senior-level administrator at the Baltimore Community Foundation to bridge the gap between community and economic development for the Greater Baltimore region.  There, he devised and monitored a regional civic agenda to position Greater Baltimore as a place where the economy provides every citizen with the opportunity to thrive. Dr. Smith served as the Executive Director for NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science and as the President and CEO of Healthy Teen Network, a national enterprise that focuses on addressing the sexual health education needs of teens and adolescents who are parenting and/or pregnant, currently who are in systems of care, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+. He currently teaches as an Adjunct Faculty member in social sciences at Coppin State University, and serves as a Content Expert for doctoral students at Grand Canyon University.

Passionate about issues facing America’s communities, he serves or has served on several boards of directors of community organizations.  Smith also is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the nation’s oldest collegiate fraternity of African-American males.

Areas of Expertise and Impact

Smith has a tremendous passion for business and administrative functions of non-profit organizations. His keen analytical and administrative acumen distinguish him as a proven executive. One of his greatest strengths is his ability to revise systems to increase efficiency and program effectiveness.

Core Values

James believes that every person in the world has a purpose and destiny to fulfill, and each individual life is connected to the greater good of humanity. We all must work together to effectuate societal change, and we do so by valuing and respecting each other regardless of race, creed, religious convictions, and sexual orientation. He is driven by making the world a better place for all of us to live, thrive, and grow.