Darrell Smith, Chief of Staff
City of Tampa, Florida

Darrell Smith was appointed as the Chief of Staff for the City of Tampa in April, 2003. The Chief of Staff is responsible for coordinating and integrating the efforts of all departments and agencies in the City to implement the programs directed by the Mayor and the policies developed by the City Council. He also has direct supervisory responsibility for the Purchasing, Human Resources, Technology and Innovation Departments, the Minority Business Development Office, the Intergovernmental Relations Office and the City of Tampa Cable Communication Office.

Smith graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Business Management in 1968. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force and entered pilot training in December 1968. During his Air Force career, he accumulated over 3,000 hours of flying time in training and fighter aircraft, and attained the rating of command pilot. After completing his flying duties, he served in key personnel management positions at the headquarters level and attained a master's degree in Human Resources Management.

After completing a one-year senior management training program at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C., he was assigned to the United States Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base in 1989. In this assignment, he served as the Deputy Director of Personnel, Inspector General and Director of the Command Operations Review Board. After completing 26 years of active duty and attaining the rank of Colonel, he retired from the Air Force and began to work for the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office in August 1994.

As Director of Operations and Support for the Supervisor of Elections office, he was responsible for directing voter services, absentee voting, poll worker recruitment and training, community relations, and polling site acquisition programs in support of 535,000 registered voters, 3500 poll workers and over 300 polling sites. He was also responsible for planning and directing office and warehouse operations at the Elections Service Center to ensure that up to 3,500 voting machines and other supplies and equipment were efficiently and accurately programmed for elections.