Dr. Germaine Smith-Baugh

Since 2006, Dr. Germaine Smith-Baugh has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Urban League of Broward County. She was appointed as the only woman to lead a Florida affiliate of the National Urban League, a historic civil rights organization dedicated to securing economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights. 

Under Dr. Baugh’s leadership, the Urban League of Broward County has had significant accomplishments while serving more than 11,000 individuals and families every year through education, jobs, housing, and health initiatives.

These achievements include opening the 28,000 sq.ft. state-of-the-art Community Empowerment Center in Fort Lauderdale, where Urban League programs and services were expanded to further the mission. In addition, Dr. Baugh spearheaded efforts to secure Greater Fort Lauderdale as the premier destination for the 2015 National Urban League Conference – which was recognized as the third largest conference in National Urban League history, attracting over 13,000 attendees and generating an estimated economic impact of $10 million for the region. Also, in 2016, she and her team worked to expand Urban League’s services to include the Entrepreneurship Center and Small Business Loan Fund to support minority-owned businesses.

Dedicating her career to creating opportunities for economic success, Dr. Baugh has served on and held leadership positions for numerous executive boards in Broward County. They included 2010 US Census Complete Count Sub-Committee; Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce; and Leadership Florida’s 2015-2016 Class. She also serves as an active member of the Board of Directors for Holy Cross Hospital, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and the Commonwealth Institute of Florida. In 2017, Dr. Baugh was named the Southern Regional Vice President for the National Urban League’s Association of Executives.

In addition, she has provided counsel to the National Urban League’s Affiliate Network, the ICABA South Florida Advisory Board, and the Jim Moran Institute Advisory Committee to develop and implement programs, partnerships, and events to increase synergy among leadership groups. 

Dr. Baugh’s leadership in breaking the cycle of poverty for countless families has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career. Her most notable honors include Broward Black Elected Officials Community Award; South Florida Business Journal’s Diamond Award; Delta Sigma Theta’s Distinguished Service Award; Broward County’s 100 Outstanding Women Award; United Way’s Human Services Professional Award; and Broward County Women's Hall of Fame Award. In 2017, Dr. Baugh was recognized as one of South Florida’s Ultimate CEOs by the South Florida Business Journal; named the 2018 African American Achiever for Community Service by JM Family Enterprises and was recently inducted into The Jim Moran Institute’s South Florida Fellows.

A native of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands, Dr. Baugh holds a bachelor’s degree in business communications and a master's degree in social work administration from Florida State University. She also holds a doctorate from Nova Southeastern University in organizational leadership with a concentration in non-profit leadership and management. 

She credits her success to a strong commitment to her faith and family, and the demonstration of hard work and perseverance by her parents. She is married to Paul Allan Baugh, an administrator for the School Board of Broward County, and is the mother of two wonderful children: Allan Nathaniel Baugh and Victoria Niara Baugh. 

Under Dr. Baugh’s leadership, the Urban League of Broward County has made significant accomplishments including the 2012 opening Community Empowerment Center, serving 9,000 individuals and families each year.

In addition, Dr. Baugh spearheaded efforts to secure Greater Fort Lauderdale as the premier destination for the 2015 National Urban League Conference – the third largest conference in NUL history, attracting over 13,000 attendees and generating an estimated economic impact of $10 million for the region.

She currently serves as an active member of the Board of Directors for Holy Cross Hospital, Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, and the Commonwealth Institute of Florida. In 2017, Dr. Baugh was named the Southern Regional Vice President for the National Urban League’s Association of Executives.

Dr. Baugh’s most notable honors include; Delta Sigma Theta’s Distinguished Service Award; Broward County’s 100 Outstanding Women Award; Broward County Women's Hall of Fame Award and most recently, South Florida’s 2017 Ultimate CEOs by the South Florida Business Journal.