Resilience and Redemption: Gerald Smith, M.P.A. '93, Transforms Trauma into Public Service
By Lia Kizilbash Gillet

Gerald Smith, M.P.A. '93, overcame a tumultuous youth and paved his own path to public service. (Photo: The Maquoketa Sentinel Press)

Gerald Smith, M.P.A. ’93, grew up in foster care, spent time in an institution, and ultimately found himself in an orphanage. He believes that one’s choices—and the paths forged along the way—hold far more significance than the uncontrollable circumstances of one’s birth.

With resilience, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to public service, Smith has transformed his challenging beginnings into a successful career as the director of general services for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee (Metro Nashville). 

As the 12th of 17 children born into an unstable environment in St. Louis, Missouri, Smith was placed into foster care due to his mother’s health shortly after birth. Just six months later, his parents’ rights were permanently severed, leading to a tumultuous youth marked by struggles, trauma, bullying and educational delays. 

“Reflecting on how I managed to preserve my mental resilience, I believe my imagination and faith were my saving grace,” Smith said. “I sensed that there had to be something more significant guiding my survival. This faith solidified when I found myself under Catholic Charities’ care, grounding me in the belief that I would ultimately overcome my circumstances.”

At age 14, Smith went to live with his oldest sister and began high school at 16. By his junior year, Smith had set his sights on college, yearning for a path toward public service. 

“Despite my hardships, I was determined to create a new future and completed high school,” said Smith. “Upon graduating, I moved to Chicago to live with another sister I did not know. I enrolled at Triton College, where I began my college journey and eventually took on work with AMTRAK. I traveled across the continental United States, working as a train attendant to support myself. I later transferred to Elmhurst College, where I graduated with a political science and urban history degree, gaining insights into the urban challenges I would later address in my career.”

Smith went on to earn his Master of Public Administration degree from NIU, which strengthened his interest in public service. 

“NIU forever changed my life, enabling me to share my talents with communities that embraced my management style,” he said.

Under the mentorship of Dr. James M. Banovetz, he was awarded an academic fellowship, enabling him to intern with local government in Deerfield, Illinois. Smith credits these experiences with affirming his commitment to city management and his passion for working with communities where he can make a significant contribution to structures and efficiencies.

“Following my graduation from NIU, I continued working in Deerfield, ultimately serving as the administrative assistant to the city manager,” Smith said. “In 1997, I accepted my first city administrator position in North Chicago, where I introduced the concept of professional city management to a community unfamiliar with the council/manager form of government model. This work set the stage for my leadership in similar ‘frontier communities’—a term I use to describe communities new to the professional management structures.”

Smith’s career has primarily intersected with communities at the early stages of embracing diversity within professional city management. As a manager of color, Smith said his service in five frontier communities has required resilience, cultural sensitivity, and a constant commitment to high ethical standards.

“While frontier communities offer unique opportunities for personal and professional growth, they are also inherently challenging due to limited acceptance and understanding of management boundaries,” he said. “I’ve experienced both the rewards of advancing public management in these environments along with the risks of short tenures. The establishment of a council/manager form of government can be challenged and compromised by new officials attempting to dismantle it, leading to the reluctance among experienced, progressive leaders to serve in such communities.”

Smith has over 30 years of professional public administration experience, including over five years as the founding director of the Department of General Services in Kansas City, Missouri. Today, as the director of general services of Metro Nashville, Smith oversees fleet management, sustainability initiatives, facilities management, and the design and construction of numerous capital projects. 

“With its rapid growth and nationally and internationally diverse population, Metro Nashville is a dynamic environment that challenges and inspires me daily,” Smith said. “To meet the city’s evolving demands, I am committed to advancing beyond traditional business models and implementing modern best practices.

“My origin story, marked by adversity and challenges, has driven me to be a leader who values inclusion, persistence and purpose. I live and embrace the proverbial expression from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, ‘To Thine Own Self Be True.’ I hope to inspire others to see that the beginning of one’s story does not define the end. Instead, it’s the courage to continue despite the challenges we encounter.”