Remembering Sandra Smithey

The Mott Foundation was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Sandra Smithey, a longtime colleague and friend.

Smithey was a program officer with Mott’s Environment team for 20 years. While here, she was responsible for two areas of grantmaking: increasing access to clean, affordable energy; and reforming international development finance to meet local needs while reducing the harmful impacts of energy and infrastructure projects.

Smithey’s work took her around the world, and it had global impact. One of her proudest accomplishments was supporting grantees who worked for two decades to persuade the World Bank to stop financing oil and gas projects. At the time, Smithey said the decision would “change the thinking about energy finance in boardrooms around the world.” And it has. Other multilateral banks subsequently stopped funding oil and gas projects and shifted billions of dollars to renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar.

Smithey also played a key role in developing a multi-faceted approach to increasing access to solar power in rural villages in Tanzania. That work, which is ongoing, is changing lives by creating economic opportunity and increasing access to better health care and schools.

Sam Passmore, director of Mott’s Environment program, said Smithey was a dear friend and valued colleague to many people both in and outside the Foundation.

“It is hard to imagine life without her helping us, challenging us, laughing with us,” Passmore said. “Accepting this loss is very hard to do right now. But we will honor her memory by moving forward, by working for the things that animated her life — like justice, economic opportunity for all, environmental health and beauty in the world. Sandra would expect nothing less of us.”

While Smithey worked in the environmental field, she often said she was an economist first. She believed that sustainable, equitable lending practices could improve quality of life in developing countries without disrupting communities or destroying vital ecosystems.

Smithey had an extensive background in public policy related to international development and the environment before joining Mott. She worked with the Global Environment Center of the U.S. Agency for International Development, as well as several U.S. and international nongovernmental organizations active in sustainable development issues.

Smithey left Mott in 2020 to become director of programs and philanthropic engagement for the Shine Campaign, which seeks energy access for all people globally by 2030. The Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors receives grant support from Mott for the Shine Campaign project. Smithey retired from Shine in early 2022.

We mourn Smithey’s untimely passing, as will many others who knew her. We take comfort in knowing that the work she was enthusiastic about — protecting natural systems, safeguarding communities in developing countries against harmful development practices, and giving all people access to clean, affordable energy — helped to create lasting change.