Suzanne H. Smith University of Texas Class of '78
Sue earned her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas at Austin in 1978 and received her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center in 1984. At the University of Texas she was a member and officer of Pi Beta Phi sorority and was active in intramural sports. At the University of Houston Law Center she was a member of Law Review, Case Note Editor, Phi Delta Phi Legal Honor society and an American Jurisprudence Award Winner.
Following graduation from the University of Houston Law Center, Sue worked as an associate attorney for Reynolds, Allen & Cook, Johnson & Gibbs and Shannon, Martin, Benoit, and Finkelstein. She was one of four graduate students selected for the Houston Methodist Executive Training Program (1994–1996) and continued an ongoing project after the program’s conclusion. From 1997 to 2004, she served as an attorney for a Turkish firm engaged in international operations.
Sue has proven leadership and commitment as a non-profit board member. From 2007 to 2024, she was a member of the Bo’s Place Board of Directors, where she held the position of President (2011-2012). Bo’s Place offers free, ongoing grief support and programs for children and families experiencing loss. Sue also contributed as a Board Member of KIPP Houston Public Schools (2013-2022). Additionally, she served on the UTHealth School of Public Health Advisory Council (2012-2016), including a term as Chair (2014-2015), and was a member of the UTHealth Development Board (2014- 2022).
From 2017 to 2025, Sue joined the Board of Brighter Bites—a national nonprofit that partners with local food banks and produce growers to distribute fresh produce and nutrition education to underserved school communities—serving as Secretary during her tenure.
Since 2020, Sue has been an active member of the Houston Methodist Academic Institute Board of Directors, serving on its Education Committee and co-chairing the Development and Advocacy Committee. Her contributions to Houston Methodist Hospital include roles on the Presidents Leadership Council (2015–2025), as a Founding Member of the Translational Research Committee (2016), and as a Steering Committee Member for the Campaign for the Second Century (2016–2018). In 2026, she joined the Houston Methodist Campaign Organizing Committee to support the public launch of its capital campaign.
Since 2024, Sue has served on the Board of Directors of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship Houston-Galveston as Secretary and Governance Committee Chair. Schweitzer Fellows—graduate and postgraduate students—partner with community agencies for one-year health programs that improve the health of underserved youth, families, and other communities with limited access to health resources. In 2025, she joined the Greater Houston YMCA Board of Directors.
Sue is a Senior Fellow at the American Leadership Forum and was a member of Class 59.
Sue is the Executive Vice President of the Craig and Galen Brown Foundation, working with her husband Craig Brown, Founder and Chair. Since 1992, the Foundation has awarded over eight hundred scholarships to National Merit students majoring in engineering, business, and science at Texas A&M University. Beginning in 2020, the Brown Foundation has also awarded in excess of seventy graduate scholarships to Brown Scholars who matriculate and enroll in the School of Engineering Medicine. Sue oversees the Brown Foundation Freshmen Leadership Organization, a student-run program within the Brown Foundation, responsible for the success of freshmen Brown Scholars. She serves as the director of the EnMed Program, overseeing the recruitment, selection, and preparation for the E2EnMed Early Assurance Program admission.
Sue and Craig received the Sterling C. Evans Medal in 2019, the highest distinction conferred by the Texas A&M Board of Regents, in recognition of their outstanding service to Texas A&M and the Aggie community. In 2025, they received the Robin Bush Award, which honors individuals who have made profound impacts on the lives of others, named in memory of Robin Bush, daughter of President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush. In that same year, Sue and Craig were honored at the Houston Methodist Gala, Rendezvous with the Future, for their contributions to the advancement of educational innovation.
Sue’s belief is rooted in the words of President George H. W. Bush- “There can be no definition of a successful life that does not include service to others.”
Sue and Craig have seven children and are actively involved in the lives of their eleven grandchildren.