Barbara Smith

Role: Panelist

Barbara (Turpen) Smith is Executive Director of the Southwestern Power Resources Association (SPRA), where she leads advocacy and strategic engagement for federal hydropower customers across the South-Central United States. A nationally respected federal energy leader, she has more than two decades of experience representing the U.S. Department of Energy’s Power Marketing Administrations in Washington, D.C. Previously, she served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Washington Liaison for both the Southwestern Power Administration and the Southeastern Power Administration, directing national relations with DOE, OMB, Congress, and federal agencies. Her work has strengthened hydropower value, reliability, and long-term program sustainability through improvements in infrastructure investment, acquisition practices, and interagency coordination. She holds a B.A. in Public Policy and Administration from Western Washington University and resides in Tulsa, Oklahoma.