[T]he WDEV radio host will weigh in each week on politics and public affairs.
VTDigger will begin publishing a weekly column on politics and public affairs by WDEV radio host Mike Smith this coming Sunday.
Smith is a political analyst for WCAX-TV and WVMT radio, and he hosts the radio program, “Open Mike with Mike Smith,” on WDEV 550 AM and 96.1, 96.5, 98.3 and 101.9 FM.
He most recently wrote a weekly column for the Rutland Herald.
Anne Galloway, editor of VTDigger, said that Smith brings a unique perspective to the political discourse.
“Mike understands local government and state government inside out,” Galloway said. “His columns will give readers insight into politics, culture and the profound changes Vermonters are facing as a result of globalization and accelerated communication.”
“I am excited to join VTDigger and I thank Anne Galloway for this opportunity,” Smith said. “VTDigger is an organization that is known for its quality journalism, and to be associated with such an organization is a privilege.”
Smith has a long career in politics, public service and business. In the 2000s, he served under Gov. Jim Douglas as secretary of the Agency of Administration and as secretary of the Agency of Human Services. After he left the governor’s office, Smith was Vermont state president of FairPoint Communications.
He started his career as a U.S. Navy Seal and holds bachelor’s and a master’s degrees in political science from the University of Vermont.
Smith went on to serve as a town manager of Hardwick in the 1980s and became chief operating officer of Yankee Captive Management Inc. in Burlington. He also worked as the general manager of the Public Employer Risk Management Association in Albany, New York, and as the vice president of MMA Consulting Group Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts.
In 2015, Smith was interim president of Burlington College.
He lives with his wife Mary in Westford.
