Mary Smith

Mary Smith is a prominent attorney, business executive, and trailblazing leader who served as President of the American Bar Association (ABA) from 2023-2024, becoming the first Native American woman to hold the role. She currently serves on the boards of PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTCT), HAI Group, and Greenway Health. She is Vice Chair of the VENG Group. Previously, she served as Chief Executive Officer of the Indian Health Service, where she managed a $6 billion healthcare system serving 2.2 million Americans across the country.

She brings a breadth of experience in governance, technology, compliance, human resources, government affairs, accounting, audit oversight, and regulatory experience. Her industry experience includes highly-regulated areas such financial services, insurance, and healthcare.

She has served at the highest levels of government, both at the federal and state level. Mary served on the senior team of the Civil Division at the United States Department of Justice and was General Counsel at the Illinois Department of Insurance. Earlier in her career, Mary served in the White House as Associate Counsel to the President and Associate Director of Policy Planning.

In her private sector experience, she served in a senior role at Tyco International (US) Inc., a $40 billion public company, where she managed a $60 million budget. Mary also served as Special Counsel & Estate Trust Officer at the Office of Special Deputy Receiver; a Partner in the Chicago office of Schoeman, Updike & Kaufman, a women-owned firm; and an attorney at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Washington, D.C. where she specialized in governmental investigations and securities class actions.

Mary is active in several civic and cultural institutions, including the Council on Foreign Relations, the Economic Club of Chicago, C200, the Commercial Club of Chicago, the International Women’s Forum, and the National Association of Corporate Directors. She also serves on the boards of the Field Museum in Chicago and the National Women’s History Museum. She is the founder of the Caroline and Ora Smith Foundation, named after her mother and grandmother, which supports Native American girls in STEM.

A frequent speaker and author, Mary’s leadership expertise is sought by audiences in many settings nationwide. Her writings have appeared in U.S. News & World Report and the Chicago Tribune. She has earned honorary degrees from Seattle University and Loyola University Chicago.

Recognizing that there are serious threats to American democracy, Mary created the Task Force for American Democracy as one of her ABA Presidential initiatives. The Task Force continues its important work as an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit with Mary as its founding CEO. Its mission is urgent and clear: activate America’s 1.3 million lawyers and 1,300 bar associations to fulfill their oath to uphold the Constitution and defend the rule of law.

Her numerous accolades include recognition in Worth Groundbreaking Women (2025), Forbes’ 50 Over 50 list (2024), and Fortune’s Most Powerful Women List. Other honors include Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Women in Law, the ABA Spirit of Excellence Award, and the 2024 University of Chicago Diversity Leadership Alumni Award.

Mary graduated from the University of Chicago School of Law, cum laude, and received a B.S. in mathematics and computer science, magna cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago. Mary served on the Law Review and clerked for the Hon. R. Lanier Anderson III in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Macon, Georgia.