Danielle Smith: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 23:56, 11 August 2009
Danielle Smith (born 1971) is an Alberta journalist, broadcaster, business lobbyist and property rights advocate. Until recently she was the Alberta Director for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. In May 2009 Smith announced her intention to seek the leadership of Alberta's Wildrose Alliance Party.
She was named one of Calgary's "Top 40 Under 40" in 2004.[1]
Family
Smith was born in Calgary and is the second of five children. Both parents were working class, but earned business degrees and later worked in the oil patch. Of mainly English and Irish ancestry, Smith is also part Ukrainian on her father's side, and Cherokee on her mother's. Previously married to her college sweetheart, in 2006 Smith wed her second husband, David Moretta, a TV news executive.
Education
Smith holds a B.A. in English and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Calgary. Her education in public policy began with a one-year internship with Canada's prestigious free market think-tank, the Fraser Institute.
Career
Danielle's first taste of political life began in the 1990s when she won election as a school trustee for Calgary's Board of Education. She quickly made her mark as an advocate for smaller government and the rights of parents.
Subsequently she pursued work as an advocate for ranchers, farmers and other rural land owners with the Alberta Property Rights Initiative and the Canadian Property Rights Research Institute.
Smith later joined the Calgary Herald as a regular columnist and editorial board member—one of the youngest women ever to do so in a major Canadian market.
In September, 2006, she co-hosted the Calgary Congress, a national assembly of citizens and economic and constitutional specialists to consider basic federal reforms for Canada [2]
Her work in print journalism led to an opportunity to succeed Charles Adler as host of the national current affairs program, Global Sunday. Smith was also host of two talk radio programs focused on health policy and property rights.
Smith was hired by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business in 2006, becoming provincial director for Alberta.