Shawn Smith is the creator of the Hattie Mae & PALS characters, the Healthy and Yummy! Wellness Program, and the Hattie Mae and PALS Traveling Trunk book series. Before dedicating her life to fulfilling a promise made to her late sister, she worked in Washington, D.C., building an accomplished career in public service, fundraising, leadership, and community outreach. She is a graduate of the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL) and the Martin Blackwell Leadership Institute. Her career in politics spanned from 1987 to 2000 and again from 2002 to 2005. Yet, her most meaningful assignment remains honoring the promise she made to her beloved sister, Tree.
Political Leadership & Public Service
Shawn served in the administration of President Ronald Reagan at the U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee under Senator William Armstrong and later with the Republican Platform Committee as Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. William J. Gribbin. She also served during the administration of President George H. W. Bush at the Republican National Committee in the Office of Minority Outreach under Chairman Lee Atwater. In California, she served during the first administration of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Shawn was a founding member and the first Business Development Director for the Club for Growth. She also served as Business Development Manager for the Benevolent Endowment Network Fund founded by Ben Carson and as Director of Fundraising for the Jefferson Island Club, known for its prestigious “State of the Union” Dinner and the “Citizen of the Year” Award honoring Presidents of the United States, members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the United States Senate.
International & Australian Leadership
In Australia, Shawn served as Business Development Associate for the Prince of Wales Medical Research Institute in Sydney, helping raise support for 124 neuroscientists conducting brain cancer research. She later became Fundraising Manager for The Children's Hospital at Westmead and served as the first Business Development Director for Bear Cottage — the first children’s hospice in New South Wales and the 15th children’s hospice in the world.
Culinary & Hospitality Leadership
Shawn’s passion for wellness, food education, and hospitality has led to numerous culinary leadership appointments. She is a member of the American Culinary Federation and the American Academy of Chefs Honorary Board of Trustees, serving as an Honorary American Academy of Chefs member for 2024–2025. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Excellence in 2024. She also served as a former Advisory Board Member of the American Culinary Federation through the Chef & Child Foundation and as former 2nd Vice Chairman of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana. In 2025, she served on the Host Committee for the Taste of the NFL during Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans and was appointed a U.S. Ambassador to Turkey for Turkish Taste 2025.
Honors & Recognition
Shawn Smith has received numerous honors throughout her career, including being named an Honorary Texas Citizen and recognition in Who’s Who Among Emerging Young Leaders in America. She served as Fundraising Chairman for American Women of Sydney, Australia, participated on the National Breast Cancer Volunteer Corporate Advisory Committee of Sydney, and supported the national nonprofit Research! America. She represented the State of California during the 35th Anniversary celebration of the Splashdown of Apollo 11 Moon Landing alongside astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin aboard the USS Hornet (CV-12). She is also a member of the International Women’s Forum Class of 2026.
Family Legacy
Shawn is often asked how she created Harvest Gardens. The inspiration began with the extraordinary legacy of her great-grandfather, Reverend Sumpter Williams. Rev. Sumpter Williams received support through the Julius Rosenwald Foundation, which partnered with local citizens and government leaders to build schools for Black students throughout the South. The school originally served grades one through six before relocating through the support of the St. Mary Parish School Board. Eventually, Morgan City Colored High School was renamed Sumpter Williams High School in honor of Rev. Sumpter Williams (1862–1929). A respected community leader, Rev. Williams was active in local Black civic affairs and the St. John Lodge Number 11, Free & Ancient Masons. Over the years, he worked as a milkman, ice dealer, and grocery store owner while raising eight daughters and two sons. One of his daughters, Ruth R. Williams, later became principal of Sumpter Williams High School. The story of Rev. Sumpter Williams and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald continues to inspire Shawn’s mission of education, opportunity, literacy, and community empowerment for future generations.