Mrs. Ann A. Smith is a visionary leader, compassionate advocate, retired educator, accomplished coach, and lifelong champion of education, dedicated to advancing the educational attainment and economic future of underrepresented men, women, boys, and girls across the state of Louisiana.
Mrs. Smith was elected by her colleagues in November 2016 to serve as Chairperson of the Southern University System (SUS). She was reappointed to the Southern University Board of Supervisors in December 2016 by Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards. She is also a member of the First Guaranty Bank Board of Directors.
Completing her second term as Chairperson of the Board, Mrs. Smith has championed a cultural shift across the Jaguar Nation. Her tenure has called on administrators, faculty, and staff to advance a student-first philosophy and reimagine what is possible for the students served by Southern’s five campuses.
Bringing her previous senior executive and board-level experience to bear, she and her colleagues on the Board have strategically focused on policy development and priority setting, holding the administration to a model of data-driven decision-making. Committed to staff recognition, she created the Above and Beyond Award for system employees.