Dr. Ryan J. Smith is the President and CEO of St. Joseph Center in Los Angeles, CA, and serves as the Vice Chair of Affordable Housing Commission. For nearly 50 years, St. Joseph Center has been a leader in supporting families living in poverty and unhoused individuals across Los Angeles County. As one of LA County’s largest service providers, St. Joseph Center’s mission is to empower families, as well as homeless men, women, and children of all ages, with the resources and tools to become productive, stable, and self-sufficient members of the community.

Prior to joining St. Joseph Center, Dr. Smith served as Chief Strategy Officer at Community Coalition, an organization dedicated to transforming the social and economic conditions of South Los Angeles and beyond. In this role, Dr. Smith led the organization’s strategic initiatives and power-building efforts, including the successful Make LA Whole anti-poverty campaign, which secured over $200 million in city funding for high-need communities.

Before his work at Community Coalition, Dr. Smith was Interim CEO and Chief External Officer for LA Unified’s Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, supporting 15,000 students and their families in Watts, Boyle Heights, and South LA. Earlier in his career, Dr. Smith was Executive Director of The Education Trust-West and Vice President of Strategic Advocacy for The Education Trust, a national civil rights organization focused on closing opportunity gaps.

Dr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Doctorate of Education from UCLA. He is a recipient of the National Annie E. Casey Children and Family Fellowship and the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs. He serves on multiple boards, including Covenant House California, which supports youth experiencing homelessness statewide, and the Sobrato Early Academic Learning Initiative.