William C. Smith Jr.

Will Smith
Sen. William C. Smith, Jr.
Member of the Maryland Senate
from the 20th district
Assumed office
December 21, 2016
Preceded by Jamie Raskin
Personal details
Born (1982-02-06) February 6, 1982
Political party Democratic
Residence Silver Spring, Maryland
Alma mater College of William and Mary
Johns Hopkins University
Website smithformaryland.com

William C. "Will" Smith Jr. (born February 6, 1982) is an American politician who currently represents District 20 in the Maryland State Senate. He previously served as a Delegate representing District 20, which includes large portions of Silver Spring and the entirety of Takoma Park, in the Maryland General Assembly.

Early life and education

Smith was born on February 6, 1982 and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland,[1] attending the Barrie School until his graduation in 2000.[2] With the support of his family, Smith became a first generation college student, graduating from the College of William and Mary with a B.A. in Government in 2004. Following his graduation, Smith earned a M.A. in government from Johns Hopkins University in 2006, and returned to the College of William and Mary for a J.D., graduating in 2009. In 2016 Smith was selected by his Naval Reserve unit to attend an elite training program at the National Intelligence University. Smith is expected to graduate from this program with a Masters in Strategic Intelligence (MSSI).

Military service

Smith currently serves as a lieutenant in the United States Navy Reserves.[3] During his career in the Reserves Smith has supported his unit’s Afghanistan/Pakistan task force, and represented his unit at NATO Headquarters Allied Maritime Command in support of Operation Active Endeavor. Smith has received the National Defense Service Medal; the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; two Joint Meritorious Unit Awards; and a Joint Service Achievement Medal.

Public service

Following his graduation from William and Mary, Smith worked as a legislative assistant at the ACLU under executive directors Laura Murphy and Caroline Frederickson. His work there focused on first and fourth amendment issues. Smith has served on the board of several local organizations, including IMPACT Silver Spring [4] which focuses on promoting community ties in traditionally under served communities in Silver Spring. Smith also has served on the board of multiple organizations focusing on improving educational opportunities, including the Gandhi Brigade, the GapBuster Learning Center and his former high school, the Barrie School. In 2011, Smith was appointed as a director of the Homeland Security Advisory Council; in his time on the council Smith worked in conjunction with other council members to advise Janet Napolitano, then-Secretary of Homeland Security.[5]

Maryland Legislature

Smith was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in November 2014, succeeding Heather Mizeur.[6] Smith served on the House Judiciary Committee and quickly became one of the most effective legislators in Annapolis. Smith was the lead sponsor of 14 successful bills during his tenure in the House,[7] including HB 1009 the Good Samaritan Law, which ensured those who report drug and alcohol related medical emergencies would not be prosecuted. Following Jamie Raskin’s election to the United States House of Representatives, Smith was appointed to the Maryland Senate.[8] Smith had a successful first session in Maryland’s upper chamber. Smith was the lead sponsor of 14 successful pieces of legislation during 2017. He shepherded through legislation including SB 651,[9] which barred Maryland public schools from suspending and expelling children in prekindergarten up to and including second grade; SB 943 which established a dispute resolution process between preschools and parents with children with disabilities, and the Hire our Veterans Act of 2017, which created income tax credits to incentivize small businesses to hire veterans. Smith also was the lead sponsor on the Home Act, which would have barred landlords from discriminating against renters with housing vouchers and a Gun-Free Higher Education bill. Smith is a member of the Legislative Black Caucus,[10] one of the first men to join the Women’s Caucus,[11] and is the Chair of the Veterans’ Caucus. Smith has earned various legislative awards during his tenure as a Maryland legislator,[12] including:

  • Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility Leadership Award (2015)
  • Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility Leadership Award (2016)
  • The Arc Maryland Legislator of the Year Award (2017)

References

  1. ↑ "About Will - Will Smith For Maryland Will Smith For Maryland". Smithformaryland.com. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
  2. ↑ "Senator Bio - William C. "Will" Smith, Jr". Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  3. ↑ "Senator Bio - William C. "Will" Smith, Jr". Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  4. ↑ "Board of Directors - IMPACT Silver Spring". Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  5. ↑ "Senator Bio - William C. "Will" Smith, Jr". Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  6. ↑ "Senator Bio - William C. "Will" Smith, Jr". Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  7. ↑ "Senator Bio - William C. "Will" Smith, Jr". Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  8. ↑ Bill Turque (December 8, 2016). "Del. William Smith named to fill Raskin's Md. Senate seat". Washington Post. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  9. ↑ "Senator William C. Smith Jr. 2017 Session Legislation". Retrieved 2017-07-09.
  10. ↑ "Membership - Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, Inc". Legislativeblackcaucusofmaryland.com. 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
  11. ↑ Wiggins, Ovetta (2015-04-04). "Four men join the Maryland Women's Caucus". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2016-10-16.
  12. ↑ "Senator Bio - William C. "Will" Smith, Jr". Retrieved 2017-07-09.
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