Biography
Jimmie Smith, MD, MPH, began his foundation in health with an undergraduate degree from Johnson C. Smith University, medical degree from Wayne State University and residency training at the Southwest Georgia Family Medicine Residency Program. He was an Education Staff Fellow at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) in Kansas City, Missouri. He completed the Master of Public Health Degree with a concentration in Environmental Health from Fort Valley State University and has completed graduate courses Educational Leadership from Mercer University. These experiences have provided him with an exceptional lens in the areas of general family medicine, public health practice, and public health policy.
His professional experiences include, but are not limited to, academic and public health practice. He has facilitated courses for Argosy University-Atlanta, Atlanta Metropolitan College, and Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Smith served as an Assistant Professor of Practice for Mercer University and as the Liaison for the Academic Health Department. This relationship was the first of its kind in the state of Georgia, helping to strengthen the links between public health practice and academia. He remains with Mercer University, facilitating courses at the master’s and doctoral level.
Dr. Smith gained federal public health experience while serving as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Health and 16th Surgeon General of the United States. He has served as the Deputy Director of Clinical Services for the Fulton County Department of Health and Wellness and served as the Senior Deputy for Health Science in the Chronic Disease Section at the Georgia Department of Public Health before taking on the role of Administrator of Macon-Bibb County Health Department during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He maintains service to the profession by being the current President of the Georgia Public Health Association. He is an active member of the APHA Community Health Planning and Policy Development Section, represented Georgia and Region IV in the Council of Affiliates, and is engaged with the Public Health Accreditation Board.
Dr. Smith remains active in the central Georgia community through the Central Georgia Scout Council, and active at Bibb Mount Zion Baptist Church. He is married to Dr. Yvette Monique Davis-Smith, and they have three children- Elizabeth, Amelia and Gordon.
Candidate Statement
As a residency trained family physician, Jimmie Smith has fully immersed himself in public health academia, advocacy, engagement, practice, and strategic thinking to promote public health for nearly thirty years. His current practice is the strategic engagement of individuals, organizations, and emerging leaders to promote health with a philosophy of “acknowledging things as they are but seeing them as they can be”. This lens has allowed for improvements with patient clinical outcomes, increased community engagement among non-traditional partners, and the opportunity to provide transformational leadership.
My professional experiences include, but are not limited to, academic and public health practice at the federal, state, and local levels. I have facilitated in-person and virtual courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. Dr. Smith gained federal public health experience while serving as the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Health and 16th Surgeon General of the United States; state-level experience as the Senior Deputy for Health Science in the Chronic Disease Section at the Georgia Department of Public Health; and local experiences as a Health Education Supervisor, Deputy Director of Clinical Services for the Fulton County Health and Wellness, and currently as the Administrator of Macon-Bibb County Health Department.
I maintain service to the profession by constructive and progressive engagement in the Georgia Public Health Association and currently serve as President. Within APHA, I am an active member of CHPPD. Additionally, I have been the Region IV Representative in the Council of Affiliates, presented oral presentations during the Annual Assembly, and serve with the Public Health Accreditation Board.
If elected to the APHA Executive Board, I will work with our members and leadership to appropriately execute the policies of APHA, support management processes that maintain the financial solvency of our organization and support the implementation of our 2024-2029 Strategic Priorities.