Associate Consultant | [email protected]
Ruth Byrd-Smith
Ruth Byrd-Smith is the Principal of RBS Consulting, a management consulting firm specializing in diversity, communications and business development.
She is the former Director of the Allegheny County Minority/ Women/ Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Department, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She held this position from 2004 – 2019. During a portion of these years, Ruth hosted a radio show on WAMO and later on WBGN called “Taking Care of Business.” Ruth was also the host of a television show on OTA Broadcasting called “Business-to-Go.”
Management Consulting – Specializing in developing contract compliance strategies and diversity plans.
Ruth served as Chairwoman of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on African American Affairs from 2004 – 2012 under the Rendell Administration. Ruth is currently a member of the Penn State Greater Allegheny Advisory Board, the Mon Yough Chamber Board, the Transportation Research Board – Disadvantaged Business Committee and many other organizations and boards.
In 2006 Ruth was awarded the Minority Business Champion for the SBA Region III which is a seven-state area and in 2007 was awarded the Civic and Community Leadership award from the YWCA. In 2008 and 2009 respectively, Ruth was the recipient of the New Pittsburgh Courier – 50 Women of Excellence Award and Onyx Woman Network – 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2011, she was honored by Onyx Women Network for contributions to entrepreneurial development. Ruth was selected as a winner of the 2012 Women in Business Awards by the Pittsburgh Business Times, in 2015 she received the Sojourner Truth Award from the Pittsburgh Chapter of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women and most recently in 2019, Ruth was named one of the most influential women in Pennsylvania by the LJS Group.
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