Coral Gables, FL | New York, NY | Rochester, NY
Also known as: nick_smith5705
Nick E. Smith is the Director of Legislation and Communications for New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn). He has contributed to HuffPost Live. Previously, he served as Policy Associate with the Education from the Inside Out Coalition, Director of Legislation and Communications for New York State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (DWF-Manhattan), Founding Executive Director of EraofChange.org and as an appointed commissioner for the City of Berkeley, California. As Legislative Director in the NYS Assembly, Smith co-authored and helped pass New York State laws banning the marketing and sale of electronic cigarettes to minors, increasing penalties for the fraudulent labeling of food products and increasing public protections against the release of exotic animals. He lead negotiations that caused the NYS Dept. of Tax and Finance to end plans to reclassify Yoga studios as "health and fitness clubs," which would have subjected them to local sales taxes, increasing the cost of doing business for studio owners. As Commissioner, Smith served as the elected chair of the Commission on Labor for the City of Berkeley, California, where he co-authored three ordinances, including a ban on sweatshop procurement, which became law in . Smith also served as Berkeley, CA Mayor Tom Bates' appointee to the Housing Advisory Commission, where he fought for increased affordable housing. Most significantly, he and his colleagues reviewed grant proposals from local non-profits to develop budget allocations worth . million in federal Community Development Block Grants. The city council adopted these recommendations with minor modifications. In , the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy recognized Smith for launching a social networking portal, NetFriends
