Commissioner Smith was elected to the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners effective January 1, 2005. For 2007 Commissioner Smith serves as the Vice Chair of the Ways & Means Committee.

Commissioner Smith is the Executive Director of Michigan Suburbs Alliance.  He earned his B.A. in Creative Writing and Literature at the University of Michigan.  Commissioner Smith is active in the community through his involvement with the Sierra Club, the NAACP, the ACLU and the Public Interest Research Group in Michigan. 

Commissioner Smith serves on the Intergovernmental Partnership for Committee for the Gelman Remediation Plan, Parks & Recreation Commission, Planning Advisory Board, and Washtenaw Development Council.