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Senator Malcom A. Smith, M.S. '06
M.S. in Finance
"If a state was run like a business, we would be in better shape," says New York State Senator Malcolm A. Smith, a Democrat representing parts of Queens. A student in Adelphi's accelerated executive M.B.A. program (GOAL—Graduate Opportunity for Accelerated Learning), he is taking business principles back to Albany.
"I wanted to be at the top of my intellectual game, to be in a position to make decisions that impact people's lives," he says about choosing to pursue an M.B.A. after five years in the State Senate. Adelphi's Saturday-only class schedule and 17-month program also fit his busy calendar.
He knows he made a smart move. Just over halfway through the program, he says, "I feel excited about the coursework and the things I learn. No exaggeration, within hours after each class ends, I use what I learned. The course work is immediately applicable in the real world."
Inspired by his courses, he developed weekly themes for his office, which he also shares with the Democratic conference. A recent theme was "recruitment without retention is no good," which was a byproduct of his human resources administration class. His themes have become so popular that colleagues will call him and ask "What should I concentrate on this week?"
Assistant Professor Thomas Diamante's research on corporate health care policies and practices motivated him to introduce legislation offering tax incentives to small businesses that implement occupational wellness programs. Professor Diamante testified at public hearings in Albany, and Senator Smith is optimistic that the bill—Senate Bill 3835—will pass this fall.
He even found a way to apply what he was learning in Associate Professor Ganesh Pandit's managerial accounting class to analyzing charter school allocations.
What do Adelphi business professors think of having a state senator in the classroom? "He never even disclosed to me till the end of the class that he occupied various important positions," said Dr. Pandit, who describes him as "polite" and "soft-spoken" but always enthusiastic about topics discussed in class. "He was usually ahead of everybody in being prepared and gave good examples from his work experience."
Senator Smith has impressive experiences to draw on. A real estate developer by trade, he has built over 100 units of housing in southeastern Queens, Far Rockaway, and Brooklyn, and commercial properties in areas of Queens. He also created the not-for-profit Southeast Queens Development Corporation, which purchases city and federal properties, rehabilitates them, and sells them to area residents.
His real estate background has helped him in Albany, where he has created initiatives to restore commercial and residential properties on commercial strips in his district and obtained needed funds to improve his district's Long Island Railroad stations. He is most proud of establishing two charter schools-Peninsula Preparatory Academy in Far Rockaway and Merrick Academy Charter School in Jamaica.
"Economic development is the engine that drives not only our state but country," he says, summarizing his legislative priorities, which he describes as "H.E.E.T.—health, education, economic development, and technology."
He ascribes his love of politics to his mother who was treasurer of the Guy R. Brewer Democratic Club in Queens. It was while helping her out when he was 12 that he met Guy Brewer, New York's first African American assemblyman. "To me, he was bigger than life. I'll never forget that moment. He said, 'Young man, you have a smile for politics. You're going to make it one day.'"
Family continues to be important to him. His wife Michele was his campaign manager, and his son Julian, 21, has emceed his Town Hall meetings. His daughter Amanda is 12.
And Senator Smith is still smiling. "I'm extremely happy," he says, and it shows.
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