Marnita Smith is a wife to an amazing husband, mother to five beautiful children, and loves the Lord. She is an accomplished nonprofit and government leader with more than a decade of experience advancing youth mental health, anti-human trafficking initiatives, and community engagement. She most recently served on the Freekind Prevention Project Program Curriculum Advisory Board, where she provided strategic input on curriculum design and statewide implementation. Previously, Marnita served as the Minor Anti-Human Trafficking State Coordinator for the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, where she assisted in directing the development of Virginia’s first Human Trafficking Awareness Summit, launched the state’s Anti-Human Trafficking Protocol Toolkit, and coordinated multi-disciplinary teams across the Commonwealth. She also helped establish the 100% Business Alliance Against Trafficking website, fostering collaboration between government, nonprofit, and private-sector stakeholders.

In addition to her government leadership, Marnita has extensive experience as a mental health counselor, missions coordinator, and community relations specialist. Her work has consistently focused on trauma-informed, person-centered approaches to serving vulnerable youth and families. Marnita holds a Master of Urban Education in School Counseling and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a minor in Business from Norfolk State University. She is a Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP-C) and has completed multiple national trainings on child sex trafficking prevention and trauma-informed care. She posses a passion for youth advocacy, strong policy development expertise, and a proven ability to build cross-sector partnerships that drive systemic change.