Michael D. Smith is a nationally respected social impact leader with decades of experience transforming systems, scaling opportunity, and uniting cross-sector partners to support youth, families, and communities.
As President and CEO of Eckerd Connects, effective June 16, he will lead one of the country’s largest nonprofits dedicated to workforce development, family support, and youth services. With over 2,000 employees and operations across 20 states and Washington, D.C., Eckerd Connects helps over 23,500 people each year gain the resources, skills, and support needed to thrive.
Smith has led organizational transformations across every level—from grassroots nonprofits to a $1.3 billion federal agency. His commitment to service is deeply personal. Raised by teen parents in a caring, under-resourced community in Western Massachusetts, he found mentorship and possibility at his local Boys & Girls Club. At 16, he became a congressional intern, where he first saw how policy could be a lever for change. He later returned to work at the same Boys & Girls Club that shaped him, launching a career devoted to opening doors for underserved children and families.
Most recently, Smith served as CEO of AmeriCorps, overseeing $4 billion in assets and more than 200,000 service members annually in over 40,000 locations. He led the agency through a period of modernization and growth—expanding opportunity, strengthening member benefits, and launching new initiatives focused on youth mental health, conservation, and public health.
From 2017 to 2021, he served in the White House and at the Obama Foundation, leading the My Brother’s Keeper initiative, supporting over 250 communities working to improve outcomes for boys and young men of color, and underserved youth. Earlier, as Director of the Social Innovation Fund, he managed a $700 million public-private portfolio to scale evidence-based solutions nationwide. At the Case Foundation, he drove philanthropic efforts to advance civic engagement, entrepreneurship, and economic mobility—partnering with both the Bush and Obama administrations on initiatives including the bipartisan JOBS Act.
After leaving the federal government, Smith founded a pro-social consulting firm working with organizations like Blue Meridian, Harlem Children’s Zone, Kapor Center and the state of Maryland on initiatives to reduce barriers and expand opportunity for underserved communities. Smith has served on the boards of Results for America, Venture Philanthropy Partners, Public Allies, Idealist.org, and Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement. His work has gained media attention on national media outlets such as CNN, The Hill, C-SPAN, and The Grio.
He is a graduate of Marymount University, holds honorary doctorates from the University of New Hampshire and American International College, and has been recognized as a TIME Climate 100 and Forbes BLK 50 honoree. Smith is also a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity and a Boys & Girls Clubs of America Alumni Hall of Fame inductee—the organization’s highest honor.
Smith leads Eckerd Connects with a clear mission: to unlock potential, expand opportunity, and transform systems so that every child, every family, and every community can thrive.