Corey Minor Smith

Harvard Business School recognized the immense contribution Corey Minor Smith has made to society when it bestowed on her a certificate for

completion of its 2023 Women of Color Leadership Program. Rolling Out magazine calls Corey Minor Smith a “legendary lawyer, renowned attorney, noted

mental health advocate, prominent media fixture, and New York Times celebrated author.” The New York Times captured the dramatic scope of Corey Minor

Smith’s life when it described her as “a fascinating woman who moved 21 times and attended 14 different schools before graduating high school, [has a loved

one living with schizophrenia], became a mother her senior year of college, and eventually went to law school and became a successful attorney.” These

experiences along with becoming a trained facilitator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), have paved the way for her mental health advocacy

work. With a considerable national profile as a mental health and wellness advocate, Minor Smith has appeared in national media in prestigious venues like

nationally syndicated radio show The Breakfast Club. She has also been featured in Forbes and Rolling Out magazines. As a well-regarded author, Minor Smith

contributed to the Audible Original We’ve Got Answers and penned a powerful memoir entitled #Driven (pronounced Hashtag Driven) with a foreword by the

renowned motivational speaker Les Brown. #Driven was crowned as “searing and moving” by the New York Times and featured as an Amazon Celebrity Pick.

Minor Smith’s consulting talents and inspirational words have also benefited Fortune 500 companies such as ViacomCBS, Xerox and iHeartMedia.

Corey Minor Smith hails from the great state of Ohio, born in Canton, and educated at Bowling Green State University, where she received her bachelor

and master’s degrees, and at the University of Toledo, where she earned her Juris Doctorate. Minor Smith’s legal career spans over 22 years and has been

dedicated to public service as an Assistant Prosecutor, Judicial Attorney and Mayoral cabinet member before serving as General Counselor for the same public

housing authority that provided housing for her and her family. Minor Smith made history as the first African American to be elected to a city-wide position when

she received the most votes over five other candidates to serve as an at-large member of Canton City Council. Currently, Minor Smith is appointed to serve with

the Biden-Harris Administration as Senior Counsel for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In her role, she provides support to the

Office of General Counsel under the direction of General Counsel Damon Smith and the leadership of Secretary Marcia L. Fudge. Most recently Corey took the

oath before all mine Justices to be admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States

Corey has received numerous accolades and awards, including the NAACP - Stark County Image Award, NAMI-Stark County Starfish Award, Boy

Scouts of America Buckeye Council Spirit of Scouting Award, She Elevates Woman of Courage Award, induction into the YWCA Women’s Hall of Fame, and

was named an ATHENA International Women’s Leadership Finalist. Along with being a philanthropist and being actively involved with a host of organizations

and programs, Corey is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Bowling Green State University Alumni Board. Minor Smith lives in Washington

D.C. and has two adult sons.

‍