Rep. Patricia Haynes Smith is a native of Baton Rouge, and is well known here and throughout Louisiana for her tireless effort to champion causes she believes in. She has been a force for improving education in public schools in East Baton Rouge Parish and the state. Smith is a former two-term president of the EBR School Board. Recently re-elected without opposition, Rep. Smith is currently serving her third term in the LA House of Representatives; and has served two consecutive terms as chair of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus. Rep. Smith serves on the Appropriations, Education, Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, and Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs committees of the Legislature. She has many appointments, including the Select Leadership Committee; and serves as Vice Chair of the House Executive Committee. Her awards are too numerous to list here but include the first Martin Luther King Distinguished Leadership Award in Politics – the “Fannie Lou Hamer Political Award” from Grambling University, and she was the recipient of NOBEL (National Organization of Black Elected Legislative) -Women’s highest award – 2014 “Woman of the Year”. She was elected 1st Vice President of NOBEL-Women at their 2017 Annual Legislative Conference. Rep. Patricia Haynes Smith is married to Freddie Smith, Jr. They have six children and 12 grandchildren.