Dr. Laurie Todd-Smith
Dr. Laurie Todd-Smith of Mississippi was appointed by President Trump to lead the Women's Bureau in October 2019. She brings more than 25 years of experience in education and research to the Women's Bureau.
Dr. Todd-Smith is the former Executive Director of the State Workforce Investment Board and State Early Childhood Advisory Council in Mississippi. Playing a leading role in the creation of the Family Based Unified and Integrated State Plan, she also served as a Senior Education Policy and Workforce Advisory to Governor Phil Bryant. Dr. Todd-Smith led numerous legislative efforts to help improve public education in Mississippi including The Literacy Based Promotion Act, Early Childhood Education, Charter Schools, Special Needs Education Scholarship Account, and an A-F rating system for school districts, which resulted in improved outcomes for students. She has testified before Congress at the House Committee on Education and Workforce on strengthening welfare-to-work policies that aided in securing additional funds for families. Dr. Todd-Smith's efforts led to the creation of a one-stop shop digital application, MS Works, which connects people to job opportunities.
Dr. Todd-Smith is a former elementary school teacher and has a doctorate in education leadership from Mississippi State University, a master's degree from Western New Mexico University, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona.