Tina Wei Smith has over 15 years of experience in federal government, higher education, and nonprofit. She is committed to economic and workforce transformations in underrepresented communities, and she is passionate about working alongside young people of all backgrounds to create futures where they can thrive. Tina has spent much of her career creating start-up nonprofits, establishing innovative programs and offices on college campuses, as well as leading initiatives within the federal government. Prior to joining the Prichard Committee, she worked alongside regional consortiums in Eastern Kentucky to improve college and career readiness for youth, including launching a nonprofit called Rural Up, Inc., to focus on providing more STEM and career-based learning for K-12 students.

Tina is a 2015 Fulbright grant recipient (Taiwan) for International Education Administrators. She received her B.A. from UIUC and her Master of Public Policy and M.A. in Higher Education from the U of Michigan. She recently completed an Executive Education Certificate on Nonprofit Leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School.

Fun fact about Tina: She ran two marathons and skydived but is a bit more grounded now that she has 4 children, ages 8 and under.

‍