Jennifer M. Smith
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jennifer Meredith Smith JP, DHumL, MP (born 1947) was the premier of Bermuda from 1998 until 2003. She is the first woman to lead a Bermudan political party to a general election victory, and the first leader of her party to win two consecutive general election victories.
She was also the first PLP Premier, the first elected female Premier of Bermuda and the first PLP Minister of Education.
Smith was appointed to the Bermuda Senate in 1980, and elected to the House of Assembly in 1989 as a member of the Progressive Labour Party. She was elected deputy party leader in 1994, and succeeded to the leadership two years later upon the death of L. Frederick Wade.
She led her party to victory in parliamentary elections in November 1998, in which the moderate United Bermuda Party, which had dominated elections since autonomy was gained in 1968, suffered an unprecedented defeat.
The Progressive Labour Party again won parliamentary elections in July 2003, but less than a week later, she was forced to resign as premier following a revolt within her own party. She was replaced by Alex Scott, but then elected as Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly.
Her community work has included service as:
- Public Relations Officer for the Bermuda TB Cancer and Health Association
- Charter Member of the St. George’s Jaycees
- Founding Member of Friends of the Bermuda College Library
- Founding Member of the Bermuda Heritage Association
- Member of the Board of Trustees of the Bermuda National Gallery
She is also affiliated with:
- Bermuda Biological Station for Research
- St. David’s Relief Fund
- Bermuda Society of Arts
- The Bermuda Business & Professional Women’s Club
- The Berkeley Educational Society
- Masterworks Foundation
- Bermuda Zoological Society
- Amnesty International
- Bermuda Debate Society
- Bermuda Arts Centre (Dockyard, Bermuda)
- Keep Bermuda Beautiful
- Bermuda Maritime Museum
- Richard Allen AME Church.
