Graham Smith grew up in a small community on Long Island, New York, understanding the value of public service. Smith’s parents were civically active in her small village, with her mom serving for years on the village board (a position her brother now holds on that same board). “That level of service to your community has always had an undercurrent for my family—to give back,” Smith says.
When it came time to choose a college, Smith headed south to the small, picturesque campus of Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. “I’ve always loved the South,” she says,
“I have a Southern mother who grew up in Abbeville, South Carolina, and that’s where my grandparents were.” Having never heard of Mountain Brook, Alabama, Smith started meeting students on campus from the small Alabama hamlet, including Harrison Smith, who would become her husband. They married, pursued a law degree (for him) and an MBA
(for her) at Alabama and moved around to Asheville, North Carolina; Boston; and finally, Washington, D.C. as they started their careers.
In D.C., Smith worked for Alabama senator Richard Shelby as his legislative director, getting a first-hand glimpse of
large-scale public service. When the Smiths older son turned two, the pull of home drew them back down south. “The lure
of coming back to this wonderful community was so strong,” Smith says. “It’s just a wonderful place to raise a family.”
Smith got involved by volunteering with the schools, eventually serving as Cherokee Bend Elementary School’s PTO president and secretary of the PTO council. “Since I’m not from here, it was so nice to get to meet people,” she says. She served on the city’s editorial board and was appointed to serve on the Planning Commission. “That was a good job,” she says. “It gave me greater heft in the municipality, and I learned a lot.”
In 2022, Smith decided to run for city council to replace longtime councilor Alice Womack. Smith won the election and
hit the ground running, focusing on the three issues that are tops for her: safety, being a strong steward of city finances and creating and supporting the vibrant business community. “We’ve kept our finances in line, and our balance sheet is strong,” Smith says. “We’ve implemented a number of important infrastructure projects. We’ve replaced our wonderful city manager, and we hired a new police chief. And, of course supporting our amazing schools that we are all so proud of.”
This spring, following Mayor Stewart Welch’s announcement that he would not be seeking re-election, Smith announced her own run to become Mountain Brook’s next mayor. “I’ve had wonderful encouragement,” Smith says. “Of course, working for Mountain Brook is my top priority, but I also love collaborating with our neighbors and looking for ways to grow our region holistically for the benefit of everyone. And always doing whatever we can as a city to support and highlight our schools.”
Smith and her husband live in Cherokee Bend with their sons.
