Listen. Learn. Lead.

Listen. Learn. Lead.

State Representative Lynn Smith Marks 25 Years in Office

By W. Winston Skinner | Photography by Jimmy D. Images

Lynn Smith made a name for herself as an expert on water matters, disputes, and concerns during a legislative tenure marked by change. She began her first term in the Georgia House of Representatives as a Republican in a Democratic majority and has seen the rise of a Republican-dominated chamber in an increasingly purple Georgia. Smith has been criticized – and threatened - and she has earned the respect of community leaders, legislative colleagues, and state officials.

Born the third of eight children in Orlando, Florida, Evelyn Cecelia Ratigan’s servant leadership dates back to childhood.

Born the third of eight children, Smith’s servant leadership dates back to childhood.

“You learned you were not the most important person in the world,” Smith said. “You were part of a group, and you had a role to play.”

Her father’s work moved the family several times during Smith’s childhood before landing in Savannah. She entered the ninth grade at St. Vincent’s Academy, and the Ratigans immediately immersed in the local Catholic church, as they did after every move. Her parents believed their family needed to be involved wherever they lived “because that makes a difference,” Smith said. St. Vincent’s, a Catholic girls’ school, had a lasting impact on her life.

“The best thing about the girls’ school was that leadership opportunity was all over the place.”

And with leadership comes difficult choices. When moved to choose between competing opportunities, Smith’s father taught her to take a legal pad, list the pros and cons for each, set the list aside, and then come back in a day or two. It’s a process she still uses.

During her time at St. Vincent’s, Smith was elected junior class president and student council president; She also earned volleyball, basketball, and softball letters. Ever-ambitious, Smith joined the Catholic Youth Group and was promptly elected to represent the group in a speaking tournament. Her speech – on a career in politics – won the state title.

A handful of years later, the Ratigans made one more move – to Jesup – where Lynn graduated from high school, dreaming of becoming a teacher. The family’s finances did not allow Smith to attend college right away. Instead, Smith’s mother had a friend who ran a women’s dress shop in Jesup, and she hired Lynn, the dress shop ultimately becoming a workplace during college breaks.

Eyes on attending university, Lynn successfully applied for the Georgia State Teachers Scholarship before being accepted at the University of Georgia. Combining funds from her teacher scholarship, a merit scholarship, financial aid, and money she saved, Smith headed to Athens in January 1964.

Smith took an initial interest in social sciences, but her adviser encouraged her to teach French – the path she ultimately pursued.

While at UGA, Lynn met Charles Moore Smith, an underclassman one year ahead of her who had grown up in Newnan. Their social connection quickly gave way to dating exclusively.

“We just had fun together,” she said.

Charlie visited her in Jesup during a school break and suggested she go with him to Newnan. “He always talked about Newnan.” She enjoyed meeting her boyfriend’s parents and seeing Newnan’s beautiful homes.

Charlie and Lynn spent the summer of 1966 driving between Wayne and Coweta counties to see each other. They were engaged at Christmas and married on June 10, 1967, amidst the backdrop of the war in Vietnam. Charlie enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and Officer Candidate School soon thereafter.

The wedding of Charlie and Lynn Smith, June 10, 1967

After Charlie deployed to Vietnam, Lynn moved to Newnan to live with her in-laws. The principal of Newnan High School approached her to teach history, geography, and French, and she settled into teaching – and life – in the City of Homes.

“It was a welcoming lifestyle,” she said. In many ways, Newnan reminded her of Sanford – “a small southern town where people put their arms around you.” Lynn also saw a sense of shared community that she liked.

“Newnan was the first place I lived that I saw that connectivity in the community. It might have been in those other places, but I didn’t see it,” she said.

The Smiths continued to make a life in Newnan. Charlie returned home from Vietnam with a Bronze Star and began a career in banking. As the 1972 school term began, Lynn cared for her first daughter, Martha Lynn. Another daughter, Jackie, followed.

At home with children, Lynn did what many Coweta mothers in her position in that time did – she joined the Newnan Junior Service League.

A new mother with two young daughters, Smith joined the Newnan Junior Service League

Her leadership abilities were apparent to her peers, and she was elected president. Christmas in Newnan began under her tenure, as did work on the league’s cookbook, “Taste of Newnan.”

A year later, Smith got a call from Newnan Mayor Joe Norman asking her to serve on the Carnegie Library Board. A beloved institution anchoring a downtown corner, the library did not meet state requirements. It had far too few books for the population, and the building was not handicapped accessible. The chair of the board resigned, and Smith took the reigns. Under her tenure, the community received a grant to study community library needs and consider options.

“People would call me and scream at me, ‘How can you destroy the Carnegie building?’”

Steadfast, Smith kept the focus on what the community needed. Subsequently, a grant covered most of the construction of a library on Hospital Road, with contributions from the city and county.

“It so absorbed all my time and energy,” Smith recalled.

The library project reached its most consuming phase just as she and Charlie bought Murray Printing Company, the county’s oldest business.

“I couldn’t walk away because we were beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.

Realizing that state funding didn’t include books, Lynn launched a drive to raise an additional $50,000.

Amidst fundraising, childrearing, and teaching, a severe reaction to an antibiotic led Lynn to Emory hospital, barely hanging onto life.

Experiencing severe damage to her colon, Smith survived surgery and found strength in God’s message: “Not your will, but mine.”Back on her feet, Lynn again found her way to the businesses of family and Murray Printing; and the business of the Newnan- Coweta Chamber. The business landscape was changing. Firms previously thought of as local – banks and utilities, for example – often had new structures and leadership. International companies like Yamaha and Yokogawa arrived. “The young guns,” as Smith described them, were eager for change and for the opportunity to lead.

City and county officials looked for ways to prepare for future needs without placing a heavy tax burden on homeowners. The Chamber became a neutral spot for people looking to the future and soon joined forces with the Coweta County Development Authority to form a partnership. The Chamber would grow and support existing industries, while the development authority would focus on new businesses and industries.

Businesswoman Donna Brooks, representing Coweta County in the Georgia House of Representatives, observed Smith’s leadership with the library board and the Chamber. When Brooks decided not to seek re-election, she encouraged Smith to run. After some back and forth, Brooks reminded Smith that Democrats ran the House.

“You’re going to be in the minority party, and you’re not going to be doing anything. You’ll have plenty of time,” Brooks assured her.

Smith went back to the lessons of her youth. She pulled out a legal pad, made a list, and ultimately decided to run. Her campaign slogan was: “Listen, Learn and Lead.” Smith defeated the Democratic candidate, Heard County attorney Dock Davis.

Seated in the House, Smith quickly figured out several things about the legislature.

“When you are elected to be part of a group, you better have the skills to be part of the group. It’s not all about you,” she reflected.

Left: Congressman Johnny Isakson (left), Representative Lynn Smith (center), Senator Saxby Chambliss (right)

Smith can still remember advice received by an older legislator soon after she took office:

“Just remember, the toes you step on today are connected to the ass you kiss tomorrow.”

Smith quickly demonstrated that she had the chops to accomplish great things for her district, including her contribution to creating the Central Educational Center, Coweta’s unique college and career academy. Smith worked on the project through the legislature and her state connections. Governor Joe Barnes allocated $7 million for the project, with the idea that it would serve as a model. Smith also met with local school and West Georgia Technical College officials to make the charter academy a reality. The consensus-building worked.

Smith said people often see the legislative process as a version of “Game of Thrones.” “It’s not,” she said. “It’s relationships.”

Left to Right: Representative Darlene Taylor (seated), Representative Lynn Smith, Representative Katie Dempsey

House Speaker Tom Murphy later supported Smith’s ambition to form a study committee on the Chattahoochee River. Soon she was the only Republican serving on all other committees statewide. By the time Smith became chair of the House Natural Resources Committee in 2005, she knew water issues in and out.

Across the state, community leaders had a wide range of ideas about water, and Smith worked to bring people together.

“We could achieve nothing as long as we just held onto our districts,” Smith said. “We had to create water districts throughout the state, and we had to all put our maces down and start solving our problems.”

“My job is to balance the economy and the environment to enhance the quality of life for our citizens,” Smith recalled.

Work on water issues has to be done with a perpetual push-pull of industry, the need for good drinking water, and the desire of citizens to have access to appealing waterways.

Smith represents a significant shift from the early days in the House, especially as her length of service is concerned. She noted that there are only ten people with “major seniority” in the House now. “Very few people stay.” Still, Smith believes in what she is doing.

“A citizen legislature works. You’re out there, and you see people. You know the price of milk, and it’s important to go places and be available.”

Recently, Smith has seen still more life changes. Charlie passed away in February 2020. Now, she focuses on her daughters, sons-in-law, and two grandsons. She remains committed to her legislative work – looking toward the future.

“I’ve listened, I’ve learned, and I’ve led in the state for the 25 years I’ve been in the House,” Smith said. “I hope it’s always possible to put that next stepping stone. People change, and needs change.”

Her prayer each day is: “Lord, help me take what I do seriously, but never myself.”

THRiVE | Issue 13