Smith won the title of Miss Lake Harding 1997. Her two sisters also won qualifying pageants that year and were among the 45 women competing to become Miss Alabama 1997.[2] Smith was crowned Miss Magic City 1998. She went on to tie for first place in the preliminary swimsuit competition then placed second runner-up at the 1998 Miss Alabama pageant.[3][4]
In 1999, Smith won the Miss Chattahoochee Valley title.[5] Entering the 1999 Miss Alabama pageant as one of 47 finalists, Smith's preliminary competition talent for Miss Alabama was playing the marimba.[6] Smith won the competition on Saturday, June 19, 1999, when she received her crown from outgoing Miss Alabama titleholder Ashley Halfman.[5] Along with the title, she received a $10,000 scholarship and other prizes.[5]
On February 15, 2000, the Alabama Legislature passed a joint house resolution congratulating Smith on her victory, praising her breast cancer awareness work, and lauding her academic achievement.[7] As Miss Alabama, her activities included public appearances across the state of Alabama, including speaking engagements and fashion shows.[8]
Smith was Alabama's representative at the Miss America 2000 pageant in Atlantic City, New Jersey.[6] As part of the festivities surrounding the pageant, Smith participated in the traditional "Show Us Your Shoes Parade".[9] Her competition talent was playing a medley of "Flight of the Bumblebee" and "Csárdás" on the marimba.[6] Smith was a top ten semi-finalist for the national title.[1] Her reign as Miss Alabama continued until Jana Sanderson was crowned on June 17, 2000.[10]
Her father, Robert Smith, is a strategic planner. Her mother, Sharon Ingram Smith, is an administrator.[11] She has younger sisters, Jennifer and Jill, who are identical twins.[2][6][11] Smith was raised Southern Baptist.[12] She and her husband, Rob West, live in Roswell, Georgia.
