Lifelong Resident, Active Community Member Steph Smyth Announces Run For Newport City Council
Promises to put skills to work for City and lead with listening to solve complex problems
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUNE 4, 2024
Newport, RI: Sixth-generation Newporter, Steph Smyth (pronounced sm-EYE-th), today announced her candidacy for Newport City Council.
“I’m ready, willing, able, and excited to officially announce I’m running for City Council,” said Smyth.
In 2022, Smyth earned 2,910 votes and narrowly missed securing a seat on Council by 113 votes.
Added Smyth: “I’m looking forward to harnessing the power and learnings from my first campaign and getting back on the trail. My desire to roll up my sleeves and get to work for Newport has only strengthened over the past two years and this time around I know I’ll reach even more voters.”
The only daughter of Harry and Diane (Martellino) Smyth, Steph grew up with her four brothers before attending Rogers High and, ultimately, going on to earn her MBA and PhD.
Smyth has worked in the tourism and hospitality industries, for the Newport School Department, and has dedicated more than 15 years of her career at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC). Today, she’s a Senior Contracts Administration Management Officer and Workforce Resolution Facilitator at the Naval War College.
Throughout all of these experiences, she developed leadership, organizational know-how, negotiation and facilitation skills – all of which she plans to utilize on City Council.
In addition to her professional experience, Steph has worked for the National Association for Government Employees (NAGE SEIU) as a Labor Negotiator and Union Steward and served on the Federal Women’s Program Committee with the Equal Employment Opportunities Office.
Smyth is an active member of the NAACP Newport Chapter and Involve Newport.
Steph also currently serves the City of Newport as a Commissioner to the Tree and Open Space as well as Affirmative Action Committees
In 2022, Smyth was also tapped to join Newport’s Charter Review Commission.
“At my core, I’m a detail-oriented individual, who genuinely listens, and enjoys bringing people together to solve complex problems,” said Smyth, “Newport is a huge part of my identity and I’m running for Council because I want to help ensure the next generation can raise their families here. To achieve that, we need leaders who will make tough decisions with both equitability and sustainability in mind.”
Education, housing, resiliency, infrastructure, and transportation are among Smyth’s top areas of focus and, over the next few weeks, she’ll spend time listening to residents and rolling out her plans at StephSmyth.com.