LaRachelle Samuel-Smith

ACE President 2021-2022
Prairie View A&M University | USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

LaRachelle Samuel-Smith is a native Texan and an alumnus of an 1890 land-grant university, Prairie View A&M University, like many in her family generations before and after. She received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with an emphasis in visual design. Smith held several positions throughout her career spanning decades as a systems engineer and designer, educator, multimedia technologist and administrator. As the marketing, communications and IT director, she led an award-winning team of communication professionals in the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences at her alma mater before completing her doctorate in leadership for higher education and accepting a position as the internal communications manager for the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Office of Communications.

Smith joined ACE in 2015 and attended her first national conference at Memphis, Tenn., in 2016. She has served as the Leadership and Management Learning Community vice chair and chair.

2021-22 ACE Board

President LaRachelle Samuel-Smith, President-elect Ricky Telg, Vice President Tobie Blanchard, Past President Jennifer Alexander, Learning Community Director Kay Ledbetter, Marketing Director Suzanne Street, Membership Director ChaNae Bradley, Professional Development Director Lori Gula, Research Director Jamie Loizzo, Retiree Director Robert Casler, Development Director Ruth Borger, Treasurer Jeff Miller

Kansas City 2022 National Conference Co-chairs Sherry Hoyer and Kelsey Armstrong