About Terrance Smith

Terrance Smith is a current Public Innovation Fellow at the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University and serves as Baltimore’s Chief Innovation Officer, leading the city’s Innovation Team (i-team). Previously, as Mobile, Alabama’s Innovation Director, he participated in significantly reduced blighted properties, influenced local and state legislation, sparked national research on addressing vacant properties, and inspired similar efforts across the U.S. Now, he is poised to lead Baltimore’s i-team in tackling housing vacancy and public safety recruitment. 

An alumna of the University of South Alabama, Smith is the founding director of Mobile’s Mayor’s Office of Strategic Initiatives, which includes the Mobile Innovation Team and Datacenter. He serves on the Leadership Alabama Commission on Race and Equity. His team’s work in Mobile has been recognized for its transformational legislative changes and has inspired new models for cities nationwide dealing with property vacancy and historical disinvestment. 

Smith, who continually develops innovative solutions for complex urban challenges was named one of Bloomberg Cities’ “CityLab Innovators to Watch” and was names one of Mobile Alabama's Top Forty Under Forty by Mobile Bay Magazine. Smith is dedicated to fostering community growth through mentoring local youth, serving on various boards, and building relationships with leaders at all levels to bridge the gap between officials and the communities they serve.