About Senator Harri Anne Smith

Statement

Senator Harri Anne Smith, a native of Slocomb, is a graduate of Slocomb High School and received her Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Troy State University. She began her public service career as a member of the Slocomb City Council in 1989, was elected Mayor of Slocomb in 1996. She was elected to the Alabama State Senate in 1998 and re-elected in 2002 and 2006 and was rated as the Most Conservative Member of the Senate in 2004.

Following a family tradition of commitment to community and business development, she serves as Executive Vice President for Slocomb National Bank, but also works on a wide-ranging list of economic development programs.

As Mayor of Slocomb she served as President of the Second Congressional District League of Municipalities and, as a member of the Board of the Southeast Regional Development Council, she combined her professional expertise with her broad-based knowledge of community needs to assist in planning and grant procurement assistance for water, sewer, road and other infrastructure programs for the communities of the Wiregrass and in her service. She also served on the State of Alabama Agribusiness Council, the City of Slocomb Planning and Development Committee, and she continues that development work today as a member of Southeast Alabama Regional Planning and Development Revolving Loan Fund.

For many years, she has been an integral part of the United Way serving as 1993 Chair of the Geneva County United Way Board, Chair of the Geneva County Campaign in 1995 and 2003 and most recently as 2005 Campaign Chair of the Wiregrass Area campaign, the first woman ever to serve in that capacity, generating record contributions of more than $2 million.

Her past community involvement includes participation as President of the Slocomb Jaycees; a member of the Legislative Committees of both the Alabama League of Municipalities and the Alabama Bankers Association; and as a member of the Southeast Alabama Regional Council on Aging and Organ Transplants of Alabama.

Over the years, Senator Smith has received many awards for community involvement and service. Most recently she was named 2005 Humanitarian of the Year by the Arthritis Foundation of Greater Dothan. She received the American Heart Association's "Outstanding Advocate Award" in 2001 and the Alabama State Anesthesiologist Association's "2001 Legislator of the Year Award."

In 2002, she was named "Alumni of the Year" by Troy State University Dothan and the Slocomb City Council named Senator Smith "Outstanding Citizen of the Decade." The National Association of Social Worker's Southeast Alabama Chapter also named her "Elected Public Official of the Year 2002." In 1999 she was named "Slocomb High School Alumnus of the Year" and the City of Slocomb 1999 "Woman of the Year Award."

Her advocacy work for children has earned recognition by Girls Incorporated as their 1998 "Role Model of the Year," by the Southeast Alabama Child Advocacy Center in 2002 as a "Friend of Children" and she was awarded the Dothan Education Association's "Friend of Education" award for 2002-2003.

Senator Smith is a member of 9 Standing Senate committees including: The Committee on Rules; Finance and Taxation Education; Banking and Insurance; Commerce, Transportation and Utilities; Governmental Affairs; Health; Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry; Confirmations; and Local Legislation No.1.

She was awarded The National Federation of Small Business "Guardian of Small Business" award for 2002 through 2006. She was inducted into the Sergeant Dixie Club of the Alabama Defense Force and is a member of the National Rifle Association and the Association of the United States Army.

Senator Smith is an active member of the Alabama Federation of Republican Women and works as a volunteer in Republican campaigns at the local and state level.

Her husband, Charlie Smith, is a native of Geneva, serves as a Colonel in the United States Army Reserve, and has been employed for eight years with Graceba Total Communications. Harri Anne and Charlie live in Slocomb, Alabama where they are members of the First Baptist Church.

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