Ryan J. Smith '03, Ed.D. '22

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Ryan J. Smith '03, Ed.D. '22, has been selected as new president and CEO of St. Joseph Center and will begin work on March 1.

St. Joseph Center's mission is to provide working poor families, as well as homeless men, women and children of all ages with the inner resources and tools to become productive, stable and self-supporting members of the community.

In a statement announcing Smith's hiring, board chair Ryan Wolfe said, "Dr. Ryan J. Smith is a dynamic leader in the social and non-profit sector, boasting two decades of experience in non-profit management. His expertise lies in developing transformative programs and building teams for the youth, families and communities of Los Angeles.

"Currently serving as an affordable housing commissioner for the City of Los Angeles, Dr. Smith brings a wealth of experience to his role. Before joining St. Joseph Center, he served as the chief strategy officer for Community Coalition — an organization founded 30 years ago by Mayor Karen Bass to transform the social and economic conditions of residents in South Los Angeles. Dr. Smith supported the organization's strategy and power-building efforts. He managed the successful Make LA Whole anti-poverty campaign, securing over $200 million in city funds for high-need communities.

"Before his tenure at Community Coalition, Dr. Smith served as interim CEO and chief external officer for L.A. Unified's Partnership for Los Angeles Schools. The Partnership supports 15,000 students and families in Watts, Boyle Heights and South L.A. In this role, Dr. Smith provided instrumental support in the development, communications, policy and advocacy, and family and community engagement programs. Before these roles, Dr. Smith served as the executive director of The Education Trust-West and vice president of strategic advocacy for the Education Trust — a national education civil rights organization committed to closing opportunity gaps."

Read the full press release.