From our sister publication, www.BlufftonIcon.com
During Bluffton University’s Jan. 24 Presidential Leadership Forum, “Journey to Leadership,” Sharetta Smith spoke about the challenges as well as the successes on her path to becoming Lima’s first African American mayor and first female mayor in its nearly 200-year history.
Her journey included hardships such as being raised by essentially a single mother while her father was incarcerated, raising three children as a young, single parent, and surviving cancer in her late 20s.
“But as the lyrics of an old Gospel hymn once proclaimed, ‘I wouldn’t take nothing for my journey,’” said Smith.
Smith’s three pieces of advice included: no one is successful on their own, regardless of your profession be a person of character and keep showing up.
Elected in Nov. 2021, Smith leads a team of about 140 city employees and oversees a $141 million annual budget. She is also the chief advocate and lobbyist for the city and its 35,000 citizens.
