Gregory Vincent Smith was born on November 7, 1968, to Lee E. Smith, Jr. and Katherine C. Smith. He is the great, great, grandson of Oregon pioneers. George Vincent James moved to Oregon in 1852 and soon after was elected one of the first sheriffs of Multnomah County. Smith’s ancestor, Mrs. Ann Elizabeth Bills, sewed the first U.S. flag made in Oregon. The flag flew high on Fourth Street, Portland, on Independence Day, 1861. Today, that flag can be viewed at the Oregon Historical Society. Mrs. Bills was the first registered female Republican of Multnomah County.
Representative Greg Smith is an Eagle Scout, a rank earned by the age of fourteen. He has served as Cub Master for 35 children in Heppner Pack 661, and still remains involved as Merit Badge Councilor for the three citizenship merit badges.
Representative Smith graduated from Eastern Oregon University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Liberal Studies and a Masters Degree in Business Administration. He is the 2001 Distinguished Alumnus of Eastern Oregon University and has served on the University’s Alumni Board of Directors.
As a small business owner, he actively promotes economic expansion, diversified employment opportunities, job creation, and community development. In addition, Smith has traveled to 28 countries and five continents, including communist China. These travels have served as a catalyst in the cultivation of international trade for the region’s wheat commodities, potato, onion and alfalfa products.
Representative Smith currently serves as the Officer to the Board for Morrow Development Corporation, a private partnership with the Port of Morrow, which provides financial management assistance for business development projects. Representative Smith also serves as the contract director of the Small Business Development Center at Eastern Oregon University.
Representative Smith has served as a member on state and regional committees including the North Central Oregon Regional Strategies Board - Oregon Economic Development Department, Freight Advisory Committee - Oregon Department of Transportation, Financial Advisory Committee - Blue Mountain Community College, Small Business Development Center, Greater Eastern Oregon Development Corporation, Heppner Coordinating Council and the Heppner Economic Development Corporation.
On November 5, 2000 Representative Smith was first elected to serve as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives. Today, Representative Smith serves District 57, which includes and Gilliam, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, and Wasco Counties.
In August of 2001, Representative Smith was elected Second Vice-President to the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER). PNWER is a statutory public/private partnership created by Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon. Its purpose is to enhance the economic well being and quality of life for citizens of the region and to facilitate regional policy coordination. PNWER has an excellent reputation for assisting associations with trade policy.
In past legislative sessions, Representative Smith has served on the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Human Resources, the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development, the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Public Safety, the Ways and Means Subcommittee on General Government and was selected as Chair of the Special Task Force on Jobs and the Economy, Chair of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Transportation and Economic Development and Chair of the Elections and Rules Subcommittee on Campaign Finance Reform. In addition, he has served on full Ways and Means.
Each session, Representative Smith has earned a one hundred percent voting record with the Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregonians for Food & Shelter and the National Federation of Independent Businesses. The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association recognized Representative Smith’s legislative dedication by presenting him their most prestigious award: the “Lariat Laureate”. The Oregon Health Care Association has distinguished Representative Smith as a “Senior Champion” and the Oregon Fair Association has awarded Representative Smith the title “Grand Champion Legislator.” Representative Smith received the “Outstanding Freshman Legislator of the Year” award during the 19th Annual Oregon Rural Health Conference.
During session, Representative Smith focuses his attention on those issues critical to Northeast Oregon. He is a tireless advocate of our natural resource partners. He stands for stable funding for our public schools and simultaneously fights to ensure that Oregon keeps its promise to senior citizens. Representative Smith has introduced legislation to ensure that our federal timber tax dollars go to our timber impacted communities. Representative Smith has fought to protect agriculture by keeping wolves out of Oregon and to preserve the Columbia Snake River System for irrigation, navigation, power production and recreation.
Representative Smith has garnered a solid reputation of advocacy and effectiveness on behalf of the citizens of Eastern Oregon. He is recognized as a leader with resolve who, when necessary, will cross party lines when it is for the benefit of District 57.
Representative Smith and his wife, Sherri, reside in Heppner, Oregon. They have five children and just recently became empty nesters. If you can't catch Representative Smith in his legislative or business office – he is likely chasing his two grandchildren all around the state.
