From 1975 to 1978 he served two terms in the Vermont House of Representatives, alternating semesters between Harvard and the legislature, which meets only in the spring.
From 1988 to 1996 he was district vice-president of KeyBank, National Association in Burlington, Vermont, then president and senior commercial lender until 2002.
In January 2003, he was appointed secretary to the Vermont Agency of Human Services by Governor Jim Douglas.
On January 27, 2006, he was named president of the Snelling Center for Government and served in this role until November 2009.
[1] Smith's board memberships include or have included Cathedral Square Corporation; New England Culinary Institute; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (current chairman); Vermont Energy Investment Corporation; United Way of Chittenden County, as chair of its Community Investment Committee; Dental Dental of Vermont; Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation; and the board of trustees of Champlain College.