Mary Smith
The VENG Group
Ms. Smith has served as a member of our Board since 2021. Since February 2018, Ms. Smith has served as Vice Chair at the VENG Group, a non-partisan government relations and public affairs firm, consulting clients on business development, strategy, healthcare and corporate governance. Ms. Smith served as Principal Deputy Director (Chief Executive Officer equivalent) from March 2016 to January 2017 and Deputy Director from October 2015 to March 2016 of Indian Health Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and system of hospitals providing healthcare to over 2.2 million Native Americans in the United States. From July 2014 to April 2015, Ms. Smith served as Special Counsel & Estate Trust Officer at the Office of Special Deputy Receiver Chicago Illinois, managing and advising on mergers and acquisitions for financially troubled insurance companies. Previously, Ms. Smith served as General Counsel at the Illinois Department of Insurance from June 2012 to July 2014, Counselor at the United States Department of Justice, Civil Division from February 2010 to June 2012 and Partner at Schoeman, Updike, Kaufman & Scharf. Earlier in her career, Ms. Smith served in the White House from 1997 to 2001 as Associate Director of Policy Planning in the Domestic Policy Council and later as Associate Counsel to the U.S. President in the White House Counsel’s Office. Ms. Smith received a B.S. degree in mathematics and computer science from Loyola University Chicago and a J.D. degree from the University of Chicago Law School. Additionally, Ms. Smith, who is Native American and an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, started a foundation, the Caroline and Ora Smith Foundation, to train Native American girls in science, technology, engineering and math.