Ralph K. Smith
| Ralph K. Smith | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 19th district |
|
|
In office January 11, 2012 – January 13, 2016 |
|
| Preceded by | William M. Stanley Jr. |
| Succeeded by | David Suetterlein |
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 22nd district |
|
|
In office January 9, 2008 – January 11, 2012 |
|
| Preceded by | J. Brandon Bell |
| Succeeded by | Thomas A. Garrett Jr. |
| 43rd Mayor of Roanoke, Virginia | |
|
In office July 1, 2000 – June 30, 2004 |
|
| Preceded by | David A. Bowers |
| Succeeded by | Nelson Harris |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 19, 1942 Roanoke, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Botetourt County, Virginia |
| Occupation | Auto parts fabricator |
| Committees | Local Government; Privileges and Elections; Transportation |
| Website | www.ralphsmithsenate.com |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Coast Guard Reserve |
Ralph K. Smith (born July 19, 1942) is an American politician and businessman. A Republican, Smith was the mayor of Roanoke and served two terms in the Virginia Senate.
Smith was born and grew up in the Williamson Road area of Roanoke, VA. Smith attended public schools in Roanoke City including William Fleming High School before graduating from Nashville Auto/Diesel College in 1961.
Smith went into business as a service station operator in 1966 and began Ralph Smith Inc. The business quickly expanded into steel fabrication with a specialty for producing trailer hitches. Over the decades, Ralph Smith Inc. also sold bicycles, produced wood burning stoves, and was involved in a variety of manufacturing, retail, and real estate enterprises. Smith significantly scaled back Ralph Smith Inc.’s ventures in recent years so he could devote his attention to his work in the State Senate.
Smith is a member of First Baptist Church in Roanoke, a Roanoke post of the AmVets, the Williamson Road Lions Club, and the Williamson Road Area Business Association. Smith was previously on the boards of First Citizens Bank, VAS Explore Park, the Miss Virginia Pageant, and the Mill Mountain Advisory Committee.
In 2009, Smith was elected chairman of Freedom Alliance’s Board of Directors. Freedom Alliance is a 501(c)3 educational and charitable foundation with a mission to honor and encourage military service.
Smith has lived in the Roanoke Valley his entire life with the exceptions of when he was being educated at Nashville Auto/Diesel College and during periods of his military service with the United States Coast Guard Reserve between 1964 and 1970.
Smith became involved in Virginia Republican politics in the early 1990s, and was elected Chairman of the Roanoke City Republican Committee in 1996. That year Smith was also elected as a Delegate to the 1996 Republican National Convention in San Diego, CA. Smith was also elected as a Delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York, NY.
...
Wikipedia