Barry Thomas Smitherman (R)

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Personal Information

Smitherman, a fourth generation Texan, has served on the PUC since 2004. Prior to that he spent over 18 years in various public banking and legal positions. His experience includes serving as a Harris County assistant district attorney, head of the Houston public finance offices of both Lazard Freres and J.P. Morgan, and managing director and national head of the tax-exempt bond department at Bank One. He is a former adjunct professor of public administration at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Smitherman is also a member of the State Bar of Texas and serves on the board of directors of Ballet Austin.

A summa cum laude graduate of Texas A&M University, Smitherman received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. He received a master’s in public administration from Harvard University, where he received the John F. Kennedy School of Government’s first Joel Leff Fellowship in Political Economy.