Bobby “Tony” Smith is currently retired; however, his professional career was in the field of Public Administration. Tony spent over 50 years of his professional and volunteer service experience in housing, community development and public service management.
He was appointed as the first African American to the post of Assistant County Administrator for Palm Beach County appointed in 1975. He served in this position for 15 years. In 1990, he was to be the City Manager of Riviera Beach, and in 1994, to the position of Assistant County Manager of Polk County, Bartow-Lakeland, both in Florida.
In 1999, Tony joined the Bush Administration and, in that role, Tony served as Director of Administrative Services, Department of Labor. Tony served in this post until the department was abolished. From 2001-2007, Tony served as City Manager of both the city of Belle Glade and South Bay.
Tony has a passion for affordable and workforce housing. For the past 12 years, he has served as a board member and three-time chair with the Housing Finance Authority of Palm Beach County. He also served as an adjunct professor of public administration at several Florida institutions of higher education.
Tony earned his BS degree from Florida A&M University, MPA from The Florida State University and post-graduate studies in higher education at FSU. Tony has been a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Inc. since 1968.