Annette Chambers-Smith

Annette M. Chambers-Smith was recently appointed as director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and is the first woman to lead the department.

Previously, she was general manager of JPay Payment Services, a Securus Technologies Company in Miramar Florida, which works to connect friends and family with incarcerated loved ones through a variety of corrections-related services in 35 different states. She has also served as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the same company.

Chambers-Smith served for more than two decades in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, most recently as Deputy Director in the Office of Administration. In that role, she managed the business organizational operations. During her time at ODRC, she worked to create a more efficient environment in the department, reducing staff resource needs by 55 percent and cutting millions in waste from the operating budget.

Chambers-Smith was a National Merit Scholar and attended Wilberforce University where she graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management. In 1997, Ohio Governor George V. Voinovich recognized her for “exemplary efforts in helping state government perform more efficiently and effectively.” She was honored with the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction’s Gold Star Award in 1997, 1998 and 2002. In 2010 she received a mark of distinction from the American Correctional Association when she was named the Best in the Business. More recently, she received Director Mohr’s Impact Award in 2011 and twice in 2014.