Dr. Michelle Smith

Dr. Michelle Smith is the Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Business Education Alliance. She brings more than 20 years of experience in Texas public policy, statewide advocacy, and coalition leadership, with a career built at the intersection of the business community, education, and the Texas Legislature.

Michelle served as Executive Director at both Raise Your Hand Texas and the Fast Growth School Coalition, where she led statewide legislative campaigns, built bipartisan coalitions, and positioned each organization for greater influence at the Capitol. At Raise Your Hand Texas, she guided the organization's policy and political strategy for an advocacy effort serving more than 5 million Texas public school students, overseeing a team that grew from six to twenty-five staff. At the Fast Growth School Coalition, she strengthened the organization’s relationships with members and corporate partners and grew its statewide presence and effectiveness.

Her legislative experience also includes eight years as an education lobbyist at HillCo Partners, where she represented a range of education clients before the Texas Legislature on school finance, facilities, accountability, and governance. She has been recognized twice on Capitol Inside’s list of the Capitol’s Top 100 Hired Guns and received the Friend of the Year award from Friends of Texas Public Schools.

Michelle has also served as a principal consultant and interim executive leader for Texas nonprofits and associations, advising boards and leadership teams on governance, organizational alignment, and advocacy strategy. She currently serves on the Advisory Board of the TEXAS Fellowship, a Texas Tech University College of Education program that develops leaders committed to advancing research-driven education policy across the state. She holds a Doctor of Philosophy in School Improvement from Texas State University.