Representative Lynn Smith is no stranger to public office! Before being elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1997, she served her area’s constituents in several other ways: She served as chairman for the Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce, the Newnan - Coweta Carnegie Public Library, the Coweta Economic Development partnership, and the Shenandoah Georgia Youth Science and Technology Center. She also served as president for both the Newnan Junior Service League and the Driftwood Garden Club. She was a board member of the Newnan - Coweta United Way Board and the Newnan Hospital Board. She continues as a member of the Newnan Rotary Club and as a Georgia Master Gardener.

Presently, Smith serves as chairman for the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee. She champions sound environmental policies that protect the environment as well as the economy of Georgia. To that effect, she is the author of several legislative bills that have become law. She also serves on the Appropriations, Rules, and Reapportionment Committees.

Besides State Committees, Smith currently serves as a vice-chair for the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL) Environment Committee, and as a member for both the Energy and Environment Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference and the Natural Resources Task Force of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). She is a lay appointee to the State Bar of Georgia Investigative Panel. She was also appointed as an alternate to the Southern States Energy Board in January, 2010.

In 2007, the Stennis Center for Southern Women in Public Service selected, for the second time, Chairman Smith as a Pace Setter. In 2004, she was 1 of 13 elected board members of The Executive Board of Women’s Legislative Network of the National Conference of the State Legislature. During that same year, she received the Trailblazer Award from the African American Alliance of Coweta County for her efforts in building community relationships. Smith has spearheaded the development of Chattahoochee Bend State Park, secured state funding for the development of Central Education Center, new construction for the West Central Technical College Campus in Coweta, and grant funding to assist Coweta County in the purchase of the Brown’s Mill Battlefield land.

Smith has received numerous other prestigious awards, such as the following:

• June 2010 voted "Legislator of the Year" by Georgia Chamber
• Spring 2010 voted "One of Georgia’s Most Influential" in James Magazine
• 2006 Georgia Municipal Association’s "Champion of Cities" Award
• 2006 Legislative Achievement Award ­ Georgia Forestry Association
• 2006 Association of county Commissioners Legislative Award
• 2005 Association of county Commissioners Legislative Award
• 2005 "Gracious Lady of Georgia"

She and her husband Charles met at the University of Georgia, and have since been blessed with two daughters and two grandsons. They recently sold Murray Printing Company, which the representative managed for several years. She also taught French and Social Studies in the Newnan and Coweta school systems and continues to volunteer in the schools.

Aside from her accomplishments as legislator, mother, business owner and teacher, Representative Smith is quite the gardener, photographer, and hat collector! In her office you may enjoy photographs she has taken which display the brilliant vibrancy of flowers she cultivated over the years. As an avid vintage hat collector for many years, she donated more than 300 hats to the Newnan-Coweta Historical Society, assisting them to acquire one of the finest collections in the South!