Ray A. Smith, Sr., Councilman

Ray A. Smith, Sr. was elected to the Portsmouth City Council in May of 2004 for a term of four years beginning July 1, 2004 and ending June 30, 2008.

Mr. Smith is employed by Dominion Virginia/North Carolina Power as an Operations Specialist III in the System Reliability and Planning Department. He was employed by Dominion Virginia Power in 1979 and has been part of its management team since 1985 where he has held various supervisory positions in the Operations Department.

In 1993, Mr. Smith was appointed by the Portsmouth City Council to serve on the School Board. He was reappointed by the Council in 1997 and served until the School Board became an elected body. In 1998, he was elected by the citizens of Portsmouth to the School Board and served until 2001. During his tenure, he was elected by the board members to serve as Vice Chairman in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999. In 2000, he was elected to serve as Chairman, a position he held until 2001.

Along with his duties at Dominion Power, Mr. Smith is also a member of the Trinity Faith Diamond Baptist Church. He serves on the Men’s Choir, Men’s Fellowship Ministry, and the Audio/Visual Ministry.

Mr. Smith is a life member of the NAACP and the United Civic League of Cavalier Manor. He is a former member of the City's Parks and Recreation Commission, former Membership Chairman of the Merrimac District Boy Scout Council, and former board member of the Portsmouth Schools Foundation. In addition, he volunteers as a mentor to many children living in the local housing developments. He is a former officer and coach for Charles Peete Little League, and the Cavalier Manor Athletic Association. He is active in local Democratic Party affairs as a member of the City Democratic Committee. In the past he has served the party on the state level and has represented the city at state conventions. He currently serves in the Dominion's Speaker's Bureau and on the Committee for Responsible Government. In February 1993, as a member of Dominion’s Political Action Committee, Mr. Smith worked with Government and Community Affairs to lobby the General Assembly against the proposed Tom’s Creek Project. In 1972, he was one of the youngest Portsmouth representatives at the Virginia State Democratic Convention.

Mr. Smith is a 1972 graduate of I.C. Norcom High School and a 1975 graduate of the former Ohio Institute of Technology where he majored in Electronics Technology. He is married to the former Marion Harris and they have two children, Ray, Jr., and Shannon.

Ray Smith has dedicated his life to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to the advancement of all young people to be saved, responsible students and ultimately successful citizens for our great nation.

BRIEF CHRONOLOGICAL HISTORY OF PUBLIC OFFICES HELD

• July 1992 - appointed by the Portsmouth City Council to the Parks and Recreation Commission
• July 1993 - appointed by the Portsmouth City Council to the School Board
• July 1997 - reappointed by the Portsmouth City Council to the School Board
• July 1998 - elected to the School Board
  Elected by Board members as Vice Chairman of the School Board - served in that capacity in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1988
  Elected by Board members to Chairmanship in July of 2000 and 2001
• May 2004 - Elected to the Portsmouth City Council

OTHER SPECIAL NOTES

• June 1972 - was the youngest Portsmouth representative at the State Democratic Convention
• Member of the City Democratic Committee since 1988
• 1990 - was Officer of the 3rd Congressional District Central Committee
• February 1993 - worked with Government and Community Affairs to lobby the General Assembly against Tom's Creek Project.