Daisy L. Alford-Smith

Daisy L. Alford-Smith, champion for the underprivileged, uses her background in health care and public policy-making to help the citizens of Summit County.

Although little is known about her early life, Alford-Smith holds the following degrees: a Nursing Diploma from Montefiore Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh; a B.S. in Nursing from the University of New York; an M.S. in Technical Education from The University of Akron, and a Ph. D. in Urban Education from Cleveland State University.

In addition to teaching at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Alford-Smith has lectured extensively around the world, including Zimbabwe, Africa, and Bangkok, Thailand.

Alford-Smith has spoken before many groups about issues regarding health care and minorities. Some of these groups include the International Nursing Conference in Korea and the Democratic National Convention’s Black Caucus Delegation here in the United States.

The mother of three children of her own and a blended family of two more, Alford-Smith has dealt with health care issues personally in her own family. Her daughter, Kym Sellers, a well-known radio personality, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Alford-Smith and her daughter work to raise awareness and financial support for African-Americans who suffer from the disease.

Akron, Ohio, is where Alford-Smith currently serves as the director of the Summit County Department of Job & Family Services, although she is involved in many programs that deal with health care. She has worked with the Olivet Institutional Baptist Church Health and Education Institute, the Center for Urban & Minority Health at Case Western Reserve University. Besides being the director of the Cleveland Department of Public Health and the deputy director of the Ohio Department of Human Services, Alford-Smith has also been the branch manager and administrator for Staff Builders Health Care Services in Akron, a company that delivers health care products and services in a tri-county area.

Because faith is an important part of her life, Alford-Smith works in support of faith-based health care and Charitable Choice programs in Ohio. Her testimony in Washington, D.C., has given credibility to one of the first pilot programs for faith-based health care in the country.

Alford-Smith is a member of the following professional organizations: the Cleveland Council of Black Nurses, the Akron Black Nurses Association, the National Forum of Black Public Administrators, the Coalition of 100 Black Women, the Black Women’s Political Action Committee, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, LINKS, Inc., County Commissioners Association of Ohio and the United States Conference of Local Health Officers. She is currently the first vice president of the National Black Nurses Association and is a past graduate of Leadership Cleveland.

Past board memberships and committee seats include the American Red Cross-North Central Ohio, the Ohio United Way, United Negro College Fund, Womenspace, Buckeye Health Center and the Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program.

Because of her tireless efforts to improve health care, Alford-Smith has received numerous awards such as Joan L. Andrews Professional Service Award, Crain’s Cleveland Business Leaders of Today Award and Woman of Influence Award, the 24th Annual YWCA Greater Cleveland Woman of Achievement Award, the Plain Dealer’s Outstanding Accomplishments in Welfare Reform Award, and the Distinguished Achievement Award from Arlington Church of God, Akron, to name just a few.

In photo, Alford-Smith poses with daughter Kym Sellers. Photo courtesy of the Kym Sellers Foundation.

--Penny Fox