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Ann E. Smith is President of the Gamaliel Foundation, a position she assumed following service as Associate Chancellor and Director of Community Relations at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She was formerly Vice President of Endow, Incorporated, a Trustee of the University of Illinois, and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Northeastern Illinois University.
She began her varied career with 16 years of service in academia. She taught high school in her native state, Missouri, then assumed teaching posts at Eastern Illinois University, the University of Indiana and Northeastern Illinois University. At Northeastern, she progressed through the ranks from instructor, assistant and associate professor to Assistant to the President and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
She made a successful transition to the business arena in 1978 when she
joined Prudential Insurance Company. After earning several performance
awards in her first year as an agent, she was promoted to sales manager.
In 1981, she became director of marketing for Cook, Stratton & Company,
an insurance brokerage firm. In 1986, she assumed a full time role as
vice president of Endow, Incorporated, an insurance planning and
consulting firm she had co-founded seven years earlier.
She began serving a six-year term on the Board of Trustees of the
University of Illinois in 1985, thus becoming the first black woman to
hold office in Illinois through a statewide election. After serving
almost four years she resigned in July, 1988 to be considered for the
position of associate chancellor at the University of Illinois at
Chicago, an appointment she accepted in September 1988.
Dr. Smith has served on the boards of a wide variety of Chicago and
national educational, community and cultural organizations. Currently
she is vice-president of Business and Professional People for the Public
Interest and the West Central Association. She serves on the boards of
the Illinois Arts Alliance and Foundation, the National Advisory Council
for the NAACP ACT-SO, the Duncan YMCA and the Marcy-Newberry
Association. Previously she was the chairman of the boards of the
Chicago Access Corporation and the Southside Community Arts Center and
served on the boards of the Joel Hall Dancers, the Illinois Committee on
Black Concerns in Higher Education and The American College.
In addition to her professional and civic activities, Dr. Smith is a
noted lecturer and interpreter of poetry. She has appeared across the
country presenting lectures and recitals on themes dealing with the
Black experience in America. She often appears with musicians and choirs
and has performed with Ramsey Lewis. Because of her background in
business and higher education administration she also often delivers
motivational speeches for women interested in moving up the management
ladder or developing their own businesses.
Dr. Smith received her PhD from Union Institute & University in
Cincinnati, Ohio; her MA from the University of Iowa; and her BA from
Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri. Long active in several
Chicago community and cultural organizations, she has been recognized on
many occasions for her professionalism, public service and positive
image. In 1987, Lincoln University conferred upon her an honorary
degree, Doctor of Humane Letters "In recognition of her unstinting
devotion to excellence in higher education . . . and extraordinary
achievements in the business world."
President Gamaliel Foundation
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203 N. Wabash #808
Chicago IL 60601
(312) 357-2639
Copyright ©2006 The Gamaliel Foundation. All rights reserved.