Heidi Smith was born as Beverly Ann on January 2nd in post-war Heidelberg, Germany. She was the second of five children and was immediately tagged with the nickname Heidi. Heidi's early schooling took place in a Catholic Convent in Antignano, Italy. She spoke English, German and Italian by the time she came home to the U.S. to stay when she was about ten years old.

    She enrolled as a freshman at Pasadena City College in September 1963 and important events started shaping her life. In an Italian language class she met Sgt Stephen Smith, her future husband, who had just returned from a 2-1/2 year tour of duty in Italy with the U.S. Army. Heidi tried out for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Royal Court in 1964 along with 4,300 other beautiful young women. Heidi was selected as a Princess and on January 1st made the famous trip, on a rose bedecked float, down Colorado Blvd for the Tournament of Roses Parade and then went to the Rose Bowl Game. 
Heidi had been escorted to several official activities by a Hollywood celebrity, Ronald Reagan, and hence entered into the political arena.

    Steve graduated from Claremont Men's College with a degree in Economics and Accounting and Heidi graduated from Pitzer College, conveniently located across the street from Claremont, with a degree in Sociology and Anthropology on June 5th of 1966. One week later on June 11th, she married Steve in the chapel of the historic old San Gabriel Mission. During their 2-1/2 year courtship, Heidi and Steve participated in various Republican political campaigns and related activities. Heidi was introduced to the National Federation of Republican Women during this period. She made friends easily and won the hearts of many with her fantastic sense of humor. Heidi always had a childhood dream to dine in the White House and the dream became a reality when she was invited, many times, to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to have dinner with President Ronald Reagan. Heidi is now President of the National Federation of Republican Women and is on her way again to the White House to attend the signing of an education bill by President George W. Bush. It takes two full pages to list all of her political and civic activities and offices she has held the past 30 years.

Politics has not been Heidi's only interest over the years. She and Steve have six children: Laura, 31; Twins Cindy and Stephen Jr., 26; Clay, 24; Larry, 23 and Sara, 14; plus six grandchildren. While raising these kids and keeping her finger in the political pie, Heidi also took time to serve as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children), taught nine semesters of genealogy at Truckee Meadows Community College, ran for the Nevada State Assembly (District 25) in 1994 and served as a member and Chairman of a County Planning Commission. 

    The last six years have been especially difficult and challenging for Heidi and her family. Heidi has suffered from Hepatitis C for 21 years, the result of a bad blood transfusion following a miscarriage that nearly took her life. As unpleasant as life is with hepatitis, she quickly notes that if it weren't for the transfusion, she wouldn't be alive today! Heidi is suffering from end stage liver disease and has been on the UNOS Transplant waiting list for approximately six years. Her blood tests testify that she probably shouldn't even be alive but everyone feels that her apparent health is probably related to her activity level. Heidi can get depressed but her health surges and new energy drives her on when she hits the campaign trail, attends conventions, works with The Transplant Network and drafts Legislative issues that will help her fellow Nevadans.

Like all transplant candidates, she is on a first name basis with her pharmacist and is even now taking the hopeful cure: Rebitol and PEG Interferon. This is Heidi's third try with Interferon. If all goes well, she will be virus free in another 4-1/2 months. Medical science has come a long way in the treatment of liver disease in the 21 years since Heidi became infected. Twenty-one years ago, Hepatitis was yet unnamed. Liver transplants have gone from experimental to successful and commonplace. Heidi looks forward to the day when medical science develops a "silver bullet" that will quickly kill the hepatitis virus and negate the need for a transplant altogether.

Appreciate that we now have a personal lobbyist with high level access in Washington to promote your best interests!!!!!