Patricia (Pat) Smith is a founding board member of Reinvestment Fund and a highly accomplished community development leader and philanthropic advisor. She has been a strong advocate for inclusive and equitable community development policies, and her career is a model for others seeking to revitalize distressed neighborhoods.

Pat has worked in the public, philanthropic and non-profit sectors. From 2018 to 2024, she served as President and CEO of The Funders Network (TFN), a national network of foundations focused on promoting equitable and sustainable communities. In this role, she led collaborative efforts such as Partners for Places, which paired local governments with foundations to mobilize resources and advance an environmental justice agenda across the country. 

Prior to TFN, Pat was a senior policy advisor at Reinvestment Fund, where she played a pivotal role in shaping policies and strategies to promote equitable investment in underserved communities. This included the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, a nationwide advocacy campaign that resulted in more than $500 million in new federal investments since 2012 in urban and rural food deserts.

One of Pat's most significant contributions came during her time as the Director of the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative in Philadelphia. As a member of the mayor’s cabinet, she spearheaded a comprehensive and ambitious effort to revitalize Philadelphia neighborhoods, tackling issues like blight and disinvestment. Her innovative thinking and collaborative approach brought together community organizations, businesses, and government agencies, creating a powerful force for change.

Pat's leadership and commitment to social justice have earned her accolades and recognition. She was featured in the PBS documentary "Philadelphia: The Holy Experiment, Edens Lost and Found: How Ordinary Citizens Are Restoring Our Great American Cities." Pat also contributed to the anthology "Growing Greener Cities: Urban Sustainability in the Twenty-first Century" (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008) and various Reinvestment Fund publications, including "Feeding the Line or Ending the Line? Innovations among Food Banks in the United States" (2016), "The Power of Placemaking" (2011), and "Crane Arts: Financing Artist Workspaces" (2007). In 2002, she was awarded a Fannie Mae Fellowship to the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in State and Local Government.

With her wealth of experience, passion for community empowerment and strategic vision, Pat continues to make a lasting impact on the field of community development even in retirement. She currently is a strategy advisor to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Inclusive Economies Working Group, National League of Cities and The Stories of Us, a national visual arts organization that designs unique storytelling spaces to bring people together in curiosity, connection and joy.
Pat holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Mount Holyoke College and a Juris Doctorate degree from George Washington University Law School.