Ralph Smith

Mr. Ralph Smith is the Founding Managing Director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, a collaborative effort supported by foundations, nonprofit partners, business leaders, and individual donors. This organization supports a network of 350+ communities in developing and implementing plans to ensure early schooling for children of economically challenged families.

Before his current position, Mr. Smith served as Executive Vice President of the Annie E. Casey Foundation. He also led the Making Connections initiative, a comprehensive effort to assist local communities committed to improving outcomes for families in disinvested communities. Mr. Smith served on the foundation's senior leadership team for 22 years.

Additionally, as a member of the law faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, Mr. Smith taught corporations and securities law and education law and policy for two decades. He also served as Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer for the school district of Philadelphia and as a senior advisor on children and family policy to Philadelphia's mayor.

Mr. Smith earned a BA from Loyola University of Los Angeles and a law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.