As managing director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading since 2010, Smith has been forging consensus around ensuring that children reach the critical developmental milestone of reading on grade level by the end of third grade. "Focusing on helping the youngest children succeed in school was the logical next step to advance the Foundation's two-generation strategy for attacking intergenerational poverty," notes Smith, referring to Casey's efforts to help low-income parents succeed economically while improving access to high-quality early childhood learning opportunities to give their children a strong start.