Mark J. Smith

Mark J. Smith was appointed to the WSSC Water Board of Commissioners, representing Prince George’s County, in October 2022.  He served as the 2025 Vice Chair and the 2026 Chair.

He earned his undergraduate degree in International Development from the historically black college Lincoln University and an MBA from the George Washington University in Washington DC.  He began his career with Africare—the largest minority-led development organization focused on rural development in Africa—where he lived or worked in 36 sub-Saharan countries.  He led multi-disciplinary teams focused on Maternal and Child Health, Food Security, HIV/AIDS Programming, and numerous post-conflict interventions.

Mr. Smith is now the Executive Director for Community Engagement and Partnerships at the American Red Cross.  In this role, he leads a team of partnership professionals dedicated to engaging national, regional and community partners committed to supporting individuals and communities as they prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.  Mr. Smith has been employed with the American Red Cross in a variety of capacities serving multiple lines of business including Disaster Services, Health and Safety Services, Chapter Operations and International Services.  Highlights during this 22-year period include Regional Executive for both the Oklahoma and Mississippi Regions; Senior Director, Field Operations for the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Program; and Regional Director for Africa Programs.

Mr. Smith resides in Upper Marlboro.