V. J. Smith is an American politician, author, and motivational speaker. He served as a member of the South Dakota Senate from the 7th district for two terms as a Republican from 2019 to 2023.

Background

One of four siblings, Smith was raised in South Dakota. He graduated from

South Dakota State University South Dakota State University is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually-operating university in South Dakota. The ...

in 1978. After earning his bachelor's degree, he worked for

AlliedSignal Aerospace Company Honeywell Aerospace Technologies is a manufacturer of aircraft engines and avionics, as well as a producer of auxiliary power units (APUs) and other aviation products. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, it is a division of the Honeywell Inte ...

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

during the 1980s. In 1990, he returned to

to serve as the assistant athletic director. He served as the executive director of the SDSU Alumni Association from 1996 to 2007, resigning to pursue a career as a full-time public speaker. Smith is also the author of several books, including ''The Richest Man in Town'', the biography of a Walmart employee in Brookings, South Dakota. As a public speaker, Smith frequently tours the United States to perform speeches at schools.

References

Living people American motivational speakers South Dakota State University alumni Republican Party South Dakota state senators 21st-century American legislators Year of birth missing (living people) {{SouthDakota-politician-stub