Meet Jimmy Smith
Jimmy Smith started his own small business entitled, “Smith Advisory Consulting” after retiring as a member of the Senior Executive Service after 32 years of working for the Department of the Navy in April 2023.
In 2019, Smith served as the Small Business Director for the Department of the Navy. There he was chief advisor to the Secretary of the Navy on all small business matters. Smith was charged with overseeing small business acquisition policy; strengthening government and private sector partnerships; and fostering opportunities to leverage small businesses as a strategic advantage for the benefit of our warfighters. In fiscal year 2022, in a collateral duty capacity, Smith served as the Chairman of the Federal Office of Small Disadvantaged Business Utilization Directors Interagency Council. There he led small business directors from across 87 different Federal agencies. He worked closely with Congress, the Small Business Administration, and the Office of Management of Budget to ensure that the barriers to small businesses doing business with the Federal government were eliminated through more inclusive policies and the adoption of best practices.
In 2017, Smith served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Expeditionary Programs & Logistics Management. He served as the principal advisor to the Commandant of the US Marine Corps and the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition on matters related to the Expeditionary Force, delivering upon urgent warfighter needs, and overseeing acquisition logistics policy.
In 2013, Smith served as the Director for Integrated Nuclear Weapons Safety and Security within the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs. In this capacity, he was charged with the safekeeping of nearly 70% of this Nation’s nuclear arsenal. He executed the Director of Strategic Systems Programs technical authority by providing nuclear safety and security policies and direction to more than 4,500 government and industry personnel. He also oversaw the U.S. Navy’s nuclear weapon inspection and nuclear personnel readiness program. During his tenure, Smith delivered the U.S. Navy’s first and only underground nuclear weapon production and storage facility and awarded the first life cycle support contract for the nuclear weapon safety and security program.
In 2010, Smith was selected to become a member of the Senior Executive Service. He served then as the Director for the Above Water Sensors Directorate within the Program Executive Office for Integrated Warfare Systems. There he led programmatic efforts focused on planning, developing, acquiring, testing, and sustaining cost-effective warfare systems for all U.S. Navy surface ships, aircraft carriers and submarines.
Smith received a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, in 1990, from Tuskegee University. Graduate-level studies included Environmental Engineering, Marine Engineering, and Business Management. He also possesses four executive leadership certificates from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations and two executive business certificates from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Kenan-Flagler Business School.
