MEET MICHAEL
Michael Smith was raised by working-class parents who instilled in him the value of hard work and the importance of a good education. Like so many families, Michael's family experienced both good times and hard times. At the height of the global recession in the late 2000s, Michael's parents suffered bouts of unemployment, putting strain on the family’s finances in the face of skyrocketing tuition costs - a painful situation that too many families still face today.
Knowing he would need a scholarship to attend college, Michael worked diligently and earned his way into a full scholarship at the University of Alabama, forcing him to move over 500 miles from home to study. In his four years at Alabama, he earned bachelor's degrees in economics and in finance, and a master's degree in public policy economics. His timing at Alabama was particularly fortunate, as he overlapped on campus with current-day Philadelphia Eagles stars Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, and Landon Dickerson.
During parts of his college career and after graduation, Michael lived in the so-called “DMV”, where he joined economic research teams studying energy and technological markets, with a focus on their economic and environmental impacts. During his time at the Progressive Policy Institute and Economists Incorporated, Michael worked with some of the field’s leading thinkers and experts. Two years into his career, Michael sought out the same sense of community he had grown up with, leaving the DMV and putting down roots in Pike Creek.
After working remotely for much of the pandemic, Michael founded a nonprofit promoting clean energy infrastructure across New Castle County called Powering Our Future. Under his leadership, the nonprofit has given out over 500 electric leaf blowers, 2,000 high efficiency LED light bulbs and dozens of electrification rebates. He has also helped install several air quality monitors and electric vehicle charging stations at senior centers, parks, and apartment complexes across New Castle County.
While managing the nonprofit, Michael also worked in Dover as a legislative aide, collaborating with state representatives to improve life for Delaware residents and learning the ins and outs of constituent services. While working in Dover, Michael assisted countless families in navigating a bureaucratic web of agencies and departments, addressing issues from clearing fallen branches after a storm to aiding folks in collecting Social Security survivor benefits. He also created online tools to model changes in revenue and finance policy.
After working in the Delaware House of Representatives as a legislative aide, Michael ran to be a representative himself, campaigning on a platform of bringing down the cost of living, reducing environmental pollution, and reimagining our state’s infrastructure. During the campaign, he substitute taught one of his favorite subjects: math. Michael narrowly lost his race by 30 votes. Undeterred, he moved back into economic and financial research, currently working as an analyst tackling complex problems for a diverse range of clients.
Over the years, Michael has served in numerous volunteer roles:
New Castle County Resident Representative: Delaware Pedestrian Council
Vice President: Delaware Young Democrats
Vice Chair: 21st RD Democratic Committee
Assistant Treasurer: Newark Branch NAACP
Vice Chair: BikeNewark
