Kathy Smith

As senior program officer for the Home Region Focus Area, Kathy Smith is responsible for the Arkansas K-12 education reform initiative that promote systemic reform, using the principles of accountability, transparency, choice, and incentives.

She has spent more than 30 years in public education in Oklahoma and Arkansas, first as a high school English teacher and eventually moving to district Secondary Curriculum Director. She has been responsible for district-wide professional development programs and school improvement and design initiatives, as well as district assessment and accountability programs. An additional focus of her tenure as a district administrator was effective school and business/community partnerships.

Kathy has been with the Walton Family Foundation for eight years. Her current responsibilities include Arkansas Education Initiatives that promote Systemic Reform, using the principles of Accountability, Transparency, Choice, and Incentives. Kathy holds a Bachelor’s in Education from Southwestern Oklahoma State University, a Master’s in Educational Administration from the University of Arkansas, and Curriculum Specialist Licensure. 

While with the Center on Community Philanthropy, Kathy Smith presented a paper on strategies for impacting vulnerable populations.