Dr. Angela Smith is an educator, restorative practices professional, and equity-centered leadership consultant with extensive experience supporting schools, nonprofit organizations, youth-serving programs, and community-based initiatives. Her work focuses on communication, belonging, restorative dialogue, cultural responsiveness, and creating inclusive environments where students, educators, staff, and communities can thrive.

Dr. Smith currently serves as a Trainer and Coach with Peer Advocates Training and Consulting (2014–Present), where she designs and facilitates professional development workshops and training programs for schools, nonprofits, municipalities, and community organizations. Her work includes restorative justice practices, communication and conflict transformation, anti-bullying education, leadership development, and belonging-centered organizational strategies.

 

She has worked closely with educators, counselors, youth advocates, therapists, administrators, and leadership teams to strengthen collaboration, improve communication, and support healthy learning and workplace environments.

Most recently, Dr. Smith served as Equity and Culture Manager at First Place for Youth (2022–2025), a California-based nonprofit organization supporting transitional-aged foster youth. In this role, she led strategic culture and equity initiatives supporting programs serving more than 300 foster youth annually. Her work included developing and implementing a multi-year Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, and Identity (DEIB) training curriculum focused on culturally responsive engagement, communication, youth-centered practices, and organizational belonging. She collaborated with staff, leadership teams, youth advocates, and program professionals to strengthen organizational culture and support youth-serving services through training, facilitation, coaching, and policy development.

Dr. Smith also chaired the organization’s Core Equity Team and DEIB Steering Committee, helping guide strategic initiatives centered on communication, inclusion, equity, and belonging. Her work included supporting professionals working in youth housing, education, workforce development, and independent living programs.

 

A certified conflict mediator and restorative justice practitioner, Dr. Smith has facilitated trainings and dialogue-centered workshops focused on de-escalation, racial equity, restorative communication, and community engagement. Her work emphasizes relationship-centered approaches that help educational and community organizations navigate conflict while fostering accountability, respect, and collaboration.

Dr. Smith is also a participant in the Peralta Community College District Faculty Diversity Internship Program (FDIP) and has been approved for Sociology Equivalency within the California Community College system. Her emerging work in higher education focuses on
“Sociology in Practice,” an approach that connects lived experiences, communication, identity, and systems thinking to create meaningful and accessible learning environments for diverse student populations.

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In addition to her educational and community-based work, Dr. Smith previously served as Director of Services for the Combined Federal Campaign in Northern California (2013–2018), where she coordinated large-scale workplace giving and community engagement initiatives supporting nonprofit and public service organizations throughout the region.

Dr. Smith holds a Doctor of Public Administration degree and brings a scholar-practitioner perspective grounded in sociology, communication, restorative practices, leadership development, and community engagement. She is also the author of “After DEI: Redesigning Belonging Through Communication,” a reflective workbook exploring dialogue, belonging, communication, and human connection within educational and community settings.