The Providence Leadership Team has announced that Wayne “Hud” Smith will serve as the firm’s new CEO. Smith assumed his new leadership role on Monday, July 6th, 2020. Rich Major, PE, who served as interim CEO, will remain on the Providence Board of Directors.

Smith has over 30 years of professional experience and leadership expertise. Previously, he served as the Vice President of Safety, Health, and Environment for Sasol North American Operations where he was responsible for the strategic planning and issue resolution for safety, environmental, and process safety management matters. He also served at Westlake Chemical Corporation in numerous roles including Regional Manager and Manager of Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE), Safety and Environmental Superintendent, and Environmental Engineer. Prior to those positions, he gained experience at DuPont / ICI Acrylics / INEOS, Occidental Chemical Corp., Larco Environmental Services, and the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ).

“Hud is a strategic leader with significant experience in both the private and public sectors we serve. His seasoned business sense and deep industry knowledge, supported by the wealth of engineering and environmental expertise at Providence, will provide for much success,” said Rich Major, PE. “I am confident Hud will continue Providence’s forward momentum, and provide for the future of our clients, our employees, and our communities.”

Smith’s professional background includes a wide range of operational experience within the environmental and engineering arenas. His project management and operational business knowledge have allowed for many successfully executed responsibilities and projects. In previous positions, he was directly responsible for developing and managing multimillion-dollar annual department budgets, shared  responsibility for managing critical business processes related to business risks, employee pay, benefits, expense and capital budgeting, and served a key role in implementing, establishing, and continuing an improvement plan that addressed and corrected weaknesses in operational discipline across multiple business functions.  

Smith, a graduate of McNeese State University, is a former member of the Board of Directors for The Safety Council of Southwest Louisiana, and served two terms on the Town of Vinton, LA City Council. He also was a member of the Leadership Louisiana program class of 2011.