Ruth Ravitz Smith
Strategic Partner, Public Affairs
RUTH SMITH, Founder and President of RR Smith Strategic Solutions (R2S3), has three decades of experience in helping leading companies and organizations position for success across a range of industries.
An accomplished government relations professional, Ruth expanded her experience into marketing and communications in recent years, rounding out her experience in public affairs. Ruth also has extensive experience developing leaders, serving as a mentor and coach.
Known for her business and political acumen and her extensive network, Ruth established R2S3 in early 2019 and is assisting organizations with "strategic positioning," getting in front of the right audiences and telling the right stories to ensure business success. In her first year in business, she was a finalist in the WILMA Magazine "Women to Watch" Awards in the business category.
Ruth served as the interim director of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce Leadership Wilmington program, sharing her experience in leadership development with the next generation of community leaders. She is a business mentor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE), a founding member of the Creative Economy group meeting at the CIE, and a mentor and guest lecturer in the UNCW Cameron School of Business. Ruth is also the Founder and President of the Honor Flight of the Cape Fear Area (NC).
Prior to relocating to North Carolina, Ruth served in senior global and federal government relations roles for companies including GE Oil & Gas, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Alstom, The Travelers, Northeast Utilities (now Eversource Energy), and the Aerospace Industries Association. She also represented organizations such as Toyota North America, Harley-Davidson Financial Services, the International Drilling Contractors Association, the American Society for Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Destination Imagination, and the National Association of Ordinance Contractors.
Ruth's government service includes serving as the Chief Communications Officer for New Hanover County, N.C., running the State of Connecticut's Washington, DC office, and serving as a Congressional staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives and a paid intern in the Office of the U.S. Senate Majority Leader.
Ruth earned a B.A. from Hood College, a M.B.A. from Marymount University and holds a certification to Teach English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).