LAKE VILLA, IL, June 20, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Sharon C. Smith-Terry, MBA, CDM, has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Hailing from more than 30 years of experience, Ms. Smith-Terry has established a prominent career marked by leadership and innovation across various sectors. Since early 2025, she has served as a special government employee and member of the National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Advisory Council (NAMSAC). In her role, she advises on research related to musculoskeletal health, providing strategic guidance and reviewing grant submissions from professional researchers. Her expertise in the field is further complemented by her position as a precinct committeeman for Lake Villa Township since 2012, through which she continues to engage with community initiatives and registers citizens to vote in their local elections.

Prior to joining NAMSAC, Ms. Smith-Terry was the chief executive officer of the Orthopaedic Research Society from 2022 to 2025. Her tenure concluded due to budget cuts from the White House, but during her tenure, she achieved consistent membership growth and exceeded annual budget targets by 10 to 15 percent for three consecutive years. Before this, she was the executive director of the Neurocritical Care Society from 2018 to 2022, during which she established the Neurocritical Care Foundation amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation has thrived ever since, securing a million-dollar grant under her guidance.

Ms. Smith-Terry's career also includes a decade-long tenure as the senior executive director of the American Hospital Association from 2007 to 2017. She co-managed a personal membership group with a substantial staff and $25 million budget while implementing innovative marketing and business development plans. Her earlier experience includes founding Resolutions International Inc. — a firm that provided marketing and consulting services to small businesses and nonprofit entities — where she served as a managing partner from 1999 to 2007. During this period, she worked with high-profile clients like American Express and John Deere and led the company to win the Distributors' Choice Award for Outstanding Products and Services.

Earlier in her journey, Ms. Smith-Terry worked at Baxter Health Care as a planning manager and senior logistician starting in 1988, spending nearly a decade spearheading marketing functions in the renal division. Here, she gained extensive knowledge about kidney disease and logistics while traveling internationally to educate patients on dialysis therapies. Her pursuit of an MBA in marketing from Roosevelt University was supported by Baxter, enhancing her technical business skills and propelling her career forward. Having grown up as an athlete specializing in basketball, volleyball and softball, she emphasizes the vital importance of communication, focus and discipline, all of which she has applied to her leadership roles.

Known for her contributions as a civic-minded citizen, Ms. Smith-Terry serves on several boards including the Round Lake Education Foundation and the Black Chamber of Commerce of Lake County. Her commitment extends to community organizing with the United Nations Chicago Chapter and volunteering with organizations such as Streetwise and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which promotes high scholastic standards and unity among women in college. Her vocational and community efforts alike have been honored with multiple accolades, including the Outstanding Volunteer award from Streetwise in 2006 and being named an Illinois Performance Excellence Examiner in 2015. She was also named as one of DiversityMBA Magazine's Top 100 Under 50 Emerging Leaders in the USA in 2010.

Also an accomplished author, Ms. Smith-Terry's equally diverse literary contributions include authoring poetry, prose and haiku books as well as an influential case study in 2006 titled "Fostering Leadership Potential of Black Women in America". Her writing reflects her passion for capturing human emotions and experiences while advocating for inclusion and equity. Looking ahead, she aims to publish a children's book and continue making a positive impact through her work with various organizations. Her vision is centered on improving individual lives to foster a better society, whether through writing or community service.

Happily married and a proud mother of three children, Ms. Smith-Terry cherishes family gatherings and remains committed to creating a better world through her professional endeavors and personal passions. With a legacy of success through leadership and compassion in equal measure, she is uniquely positioned to accomplish her future goals and make a lasting impact on her community and society at large.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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