John Robert Smith

John Robert Smith
Mayor of Meridian, Mississippi
In office July 1, 1993 – July 1, 2009
Preceded by	Jimmy Kemp
Succeeded by	Cheri Barry
Personal details
Political party	Republican

John Robert Smith served four terms as mayor of Meridian, Mississippi and formerly serves as the President and CEO of Reconnecting America, a national non-profit transit research and advocacy think-tank. Senior policy adviser at Smart Growth America and chairman of Transportation for America.

Career

John Robert Smith was elected Mayor of Meridian in 1993 and re-elected three times. In 2005, while seeking a fourth term, he narrowly defeated Lauderdale County Supervisor Jimmie Smith, a Democrat, by only 104 votes in the general election.[1] He decided not to run for a fifth term.

Recognition

In 2002, Smith was elected as Chairman of the Board of the Amtrak Board of Directors. He had served on the board since June 1998.[2]

As mayor, Smith was known as a strong supporter of the arts. In 2005, he won a Public Leadership in the Arts Award from Americans for the Arts.[3]

In 2009 he was named Reconnecting America's President and CEO.[4]

References

1. Williams, Tom (9 June 2021). "Jimmie Smith is Meridian's projected Mayor-Elect". WTOK-TV. Retrieved 18 November 2021. Mayor-Elect Smith served on the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors for 20 years. Smith previously ran for mayor of Meridian in 2005, but lost by 104 votes to John Robert Smith.
2. Thaniel, Ron (March 4, 2002). "Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith Elected Chairman of Amtrak's Board of Directors". U.S. Mayor Newspaper. Washington, D.C. Archived from the original on June 12, 2011. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
3. "News: Awards for Arts Achievement". United States: Americans for the Arts. 2005. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
4. "John Robert Smith Named Reconnecting America President And CEO". July 31, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2018.

Political offices
Preceded by Jimmy Kemp	Mayor of Meridian, MS 1993–2009	Succeeded by Cheri Barry