Jennifer M. Smith
Encyclopedia
Dame Jennifer Meredith Smith, DBE
, JP, DHumL
, MP
(born 1947) was the premier of Bermuda
from 1998 until 2003, the first premier who was not a member of the United Bermuda Party
. She is currently Bermuda's Minister of Education.
Smith was also the first female Progressive Labour Party
Minister of Education, the first and so far only leader of the PLP to lead the party to win two consecutive general elections and the second woman to serve as premier.
Smith was appointed to the Senate of Bermuda
in 1980, and elected to the House of Assembly of Bermuda
in 1989 as a member of the Progressive Labour Party
. She was elected deputy party leader in 1994, and succeeded to the leadership two years later upon the death of L. Frederick Wade.
She led her party to victory in parliamentary elections in November 1998, in which the United Bermuda Party
, which had dominated elections since autonomy was gained in 1968, suffered an unprecedented defeat.
The Progressive Labour Party again won parliamentary elections in July 2003, but less than a week later, she was forced to resign as premier following a revolt within her own party. She was replaced by Alex Scott
, but then elected as Deputy Speaker
of the House of Assembly
.
Premier Jennifer Smith is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders
, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
, from which she earned an Associate's degree in 1970. Upon returning to Bermuda, she began work as a political reporter and editor for the Bermuda Recorder newspaper.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, JP, DHumL
Doctor of Humane Letters
The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters is always conferred as an honorary degree, usually to those who have distinguished themselves in areas other than science, government, literature or religion, which are awarded degrees of Doctor of Science, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, or Doctor of...
, MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(born 1947) was the premier of Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
from 1998 until 2003, the first premier who was not a member of the United Bermuda Party
United Bermuda Party
The United Bermuda Party was a political party in Bermuda. It represented itself as centrist party in favor of a moderate social and fiscal agenda...
. She is currently Bermuda's Minister of Education.
Smith was also the first female Progressive Labour Party
Progressive Labour Party (Bermuda)
The Progressive Labour Party is a political party in Bermuda. It has been in power since 1998, winning subsequent elections in 2003 and 2007.- Formation :...
Minister of Education, the first and so far only leader of the PLP to lead the party to win two consecutive general elections and the second woman to serve as premier.
Smith was appointed to the Senate of Bermuda
Senate of Bermuda
The Senate is one of two parts of the Parliament of Bermuda, the other being the House of Assembly. Both are overseen by the Governor. The Senate is the Upper House of the Parliament, and serves as a House of Review....
in 1980, and elected to the House of Assembly of Bermuda
House of Assembly of Bermuda
The House of Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Bermuda. The house has 36 members, each elected for a five year term in a single seat constituencies....
in 1989 as a member of the Progressive Labour Party
Progressive Labour Party (Bermuda)
The Progressive Labour Party is a political party in Bermuda. It has been in power since 1998, winning subsequent elections in 2003 and 2007.- Formation :...
. She was elected deputy party leader in 1994, and succeeded to the leadership two years later upon the death of L. Frederick Wade.
She led her party to victory in parliamentary elections in November 1998, in which the United Bermuda Party
United Bermuda Party
The United Bermuda Party was a political party in Bermuda. It represented itself as centrist party in favor of a moderate social and fiscal agenda...
, which had dominated elections since autonomy was gained in 1968, suffered an unprecedented defeat.
The Progressive Labour Party again won parliamentary elections in July 2003, but less than a week later, she was forced to resign as premier following a revolt within her own party. She was replaced by Alex Scott
William Alexander Scott
William Alexander "Alex" Scott JP, MP is a politician in Bermuda who is the MP for the Warwick South East constituency. Between 2003 and 2006 he served as the Premier of Bermuda and leader of the Progressive Labour Party ....
, but then elected as Deputy Speaker
Speaker (politics)
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
of the House of Assembly
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level....
.
Premier Jennifer Smith is a member of the Council of Women World Leaders
Council of Women World Leaders
The Council of Women World Leaders is a network of current and former women prime ministers and presidents established in 1996 by Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland and first woman in the world to be democratically elected president, and Laura Liswood, Secretary General...
, an International network of current and former women presidents and prime ministers whose mission is to mobilize the highest-level women leaders globally for collective action on issues of critical importance to women and equitable development.
Early life
Jennifer Smith was born in 1947 in Bermuda, the daughter of a bartender. She was raised as a member of the African Methodist Episcopal church. She exhibited an interest in art from an early age, and later enrolled at the Art Institute of PittsburghArt Institute of Pittsburgh
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh is a private, for-profit, higher education institute located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that emphasizes design education and career preparation for the creative job market. It was founded in 1921.-History:...
, from which she earned an Associate's degree in 1970. Upon returning to Bermuda, she began work as a political reporter and editor for the Bermuda Recorder newspaper.