By Daniel Stefanski |

A former Arizona legislator has found a new professional home.

Late last week, the T.W. Lewis Foundation announced the hiring of Steve Smith, a former state legislature, as its new executive director. The Foundation shared that Smith would be managing “grant distribution, non-profit assessments and activities to enhance the foundation’s overall core program areas.”

“It is an honor to work with Tom Lewis and the great team at the T.W. Lewis Foundation,” said Smith. “I look forward to bringing my experience and dedication to the foundation to build upon the incredible mission Tom and Jan Lewis started in helping children and families in need, impacting youth through Christian education, supporting civic minded causes, strengthening America and building God’s kingdom.”

“Steve is an energetic and entrepreneurial leader with significant experience in the public sector and private philanthropy,” said Tom Lewis, the Foundation’s founder. “We are extremely grateful to have found an executive director with his depth of experience and passion for our mission.”

Smith previously served as the director for the Arizona Chapter of the American Federation for Children. He has been one of the top school choice proponents in the state, helping Arizona to expand and solidify its historic Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) program. Earlier this summer, he published an op-ed in the Arizona Capitol Times on the support for ESAs in the state, writing, “It can be tempting to listen to the Eeyores and their defenders in elected office and believe that Arizona would be better off if it went back to an old model where students would only attend the school to which they were assigned, regardless of its quality or whether it met their unique educational needs. Politicians who pursue such a model, however, do so at their own peril. Arizona families and voters of all affiliations believe that more educational options – not fewer – is what we need.”

On its website, the T.W. Lewis Foundation reveals that it was “formed in 2000” and “has provided college scholarships to over 200 future leaders, made gifts to dozens of non-profits that help children and families in need, and supported youth education organizations that build character and encourage civic engagement.” The purpose of the Foundation is to “help children and families in need, impact youth through Christian education, support civic minded causes in our community, strengthen America, and build God’s kingdom.”

Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.