Ann Smith recently joined Sunbelt Business Brokers of the Hudson Valley, Inc., located in New Paltz, NY, as its franchise sales specialist. She joins her husband, William A. Smith, who is owner of SBB of the HV and its chief business broker. She is also principal of Ann Barber Consulting, a marketing, management, and public relations and economic and community development consulting firm she started in June 2001

Prior to 2001, Ms. Smith was President and CEO of the Orange County Partnership, an economic development and marketing agency, for 5 years. Before joining the Partnership in October 1996, she spent 15 years in the banking industry, with Chase Manhattan Bank and Bank of Montreal in New York City, and with Fleet Bank (now Bank of America) in Newburgh and Greenwich, CT. She provided financing to large, multinational corporations, mid-sized and small businesses as well as high net worth individuals.

Prior to banking, Ms. Smith was in the non-profit field, consulting for agencies and schools for the blind in the US through the National Accreditation Council headquartered in NYC.

Ms. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Connecticut College in New London, CT, a Masters in community development from Hunter College School of Social Work, and an MBA from Fordham University.

Ms. Smith currently serves on the Business Advisory Council of the SUNY-New Paltz School of Business and is on the Board of the Community Foundation of Orange County and the Huguenot Historical Society in New Paltz. She was selected as a Woman of Achievement of Orange County, NY for 2001.