Jim Smith is Chief Strategy Officer at the Platte Institute. He previously served as President of Blueprint Nebraska, which developed a plan for Nebraska’s economic growth, competitiveness, and prosperity.

Between 2010 and 2018, Jim represented Sarpy County’s Legislative District 14 in the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature. In the Legislature, Jim was Chairperson of the Transportation and Telecommunications Committee and the Revenue Committee. Among his signature legislative accomplishments, Jim authored companion bills LB610 and LB960, which resulted in one of the state’s largest comprehensive funding channels for city, county, and state infrastructure, totaling more than $1.2 billion by 2033.

Jim has been a small business owner and investor for nearly 15 years and also spent more than 25 years in the electric and gas utility industry, working for investor-owned utilities in Louisiana and Texas and later for public power in Nebraska. Jim holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting from the University of West Florida and MBA from Creighton University.