Meet Angela Smith-Jones

Angela Smith Jones is the Associate Vice President of State Relations for Indiana University. In her role at the IU Office of the Vice President for University Relations, Smith Jones serves as IU’s primary liaison with legislative and executive branches of Indiana government, including the Indiana General Assembly, the Office of the Governor, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and other relevant units.

Prior to coming to IU, Angela Smith Jones was the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion at Health & Hospital Corporation including Eskenazi Health, IEMS, and Marion County Public Health Department – to ensure that all employees, patients, clients and vendors feel welcome and valued. In addition, she led the supplier diversity strategy for HHC.

Smith Jones was sworn in as Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett’s first Deputy Mayor for Economic Development in January 2016. Under her purview, Smith Jones oversaw Develop Indy, the city’s economic development organization; Employ Indy, the city’s workforce improvement board; Office of Minority and Women Business Development; and worked closely with the Office of International and Latino Affairs. Leading these organizations, Smith Jones directed the strategies of business retention and expansion, attraction of new companies, job growth and development of a strong workforce pipeline for the city of Indianapolis. She also ensured that entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds received support and were given opportunities.

Prior to assuming the role of Deputy Mayor, Smith Jones served as General Counsel and Director of Policy and Legislative Affairs with the Indy Chamber. As an Indy Chamber lobbyist, Angela advocated for both state and local legislative bodies on issues impacting the business community. Specifically, Smith Jones led efforts to impact legislation focused on a pro-growth, pro-talent economy, including advocating on behalf of immigration and non-discrimination policies, supporting the 2016 Marion County transit referendum and championing the expansion of early childhood education funding.

Through her leadership role at the Indy Chamber, Angela worked with the Indianapolis Mayor’s office, City-County Council and the State Legislature to represent the Indy Chamber as decisions were made impacting business in the Indianapolis region. Angela also served as the staff liaison to several Indy Chamber councils and committees to develop policies and positions of the Indy Chamber, as well as create the legislative agenda. Before working with the Indy Chamber, Angela was a Director with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA) where she worked with several boards in creating policy and regulating their professions. Prior to the merger of IPLA and the Health Professions Bureau, Angela served as the Deputy Director of the Health Professions Bureau and the Director of the Medical Licensing Board of Indiana.

A native of Indianapolis, Smith Jones is a graduate of DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Illinois, where she earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence. Prior to law school, she completed her undergraduate studies at Miami University, in Oxford, Ohio, with a degree in Broadcast/Journalism.