The Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska has announced that Linda Smith will join the staff as its first director of policy. Smith is one of the nation’s foremost experts on early childhood federal and state policy and was most recently director of the Early Childhood Development Initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C.
In this new role, Smith will lead the institute’s policy work, with a specific focus on military, rural and tribal child care, along with early childhood financing. She will continue her efforts engaging the business community in child care initiatives nationwide. Smith will be based in Washington, D.C.; her first day at the institute will be May 1.
“I am excited to bring my experience in early childhood policy to the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, which truly ranks as a one-of-a-kind institute in the nation,” Smith said. “I share a deep passion for this work with Buffett Institute Executive Director Walter Gilliam, and after many years of our work intersecting, I look forward to formally joining forces with him and the dedicated team at the Institute to address the urgent and growing needs of young children, families and educators across this country.”
Prior to her work at the Bipartisan Policy Center, Smith served as deputy assistant secretary for early childhood development at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 2011 to 2017, where she oversaw the nation’s Head Start program, child care subsidy system and other federal early childhood systems. Smith also worked at the U.S. Department of Defense from 1989 to 2000, ultimately serving as director of the Office of Family Policy. She helped redesign the early childhood care and education program for the United States military, which has been widely heralded as an innovative model to support military families.
“I have known Linda Smith for nearly two decades and have seen firsthand her singular ability to build and implement transformative programs that are moving the needle in the early childhood field,” said Gilliam. “Her depth and breadth of knowledge in early childhood policy is unmatched, and I could not be more excited to bring her talents and expertise to the Buffett Institute as we work to fulfill our mission of transforming the lives of young children in Nebraska and across the nation.”
In addition to her role at the Institute, Smith will have an appointment as professor of education and early childhood development at the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute.
Smith started her career in early childhood education on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in her native state of Montana. She is a graduate of the University of Montana. A full biography can be found here.
“With the addition of Linda Smith, the Buffett Early Childhood Institute will be even better positioned to affect federal and state policies that support the development and education of our youngest children,” said Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, UNMC chancellor. “I’m delighted that the university will become home to another nationally recognized leader in early childhood policy.”