Tara Smith

Tara Smith

Deputy Executive Vice President

As Deputy Executive Vice President, Tara Smith focuses on developing and implementing legislative and regulatory strategies, building coalitions and informing policymakers on client priorities.

Before joining Michael Torrey Associates in August 2013, Smith worked as a Senior Professional Staff for the Senate Agriculture Committee under Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) where she covered commodity programs, crop insurance and disaster assistance.

After her time with the Committee, Smith provided strategic policy advice in the agriculture and food sector, including assistance with legislative drafting, navigating the political process, educating government officials and fundraising as the CEO of Smith Strategies. Smith was also previously Director of Government Affairs for the American Farm Bureau where she handled the farm bill and commodity issues. Smith has past worked for Monsanto Company and Promar International, an agribusiness consulting firm.

Tara grew up on a corn and soybean farm in central Illinois. She has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Davidson College in North Carolina and an MBA from the University of Michigan.