Jim Smart

It’s hard to imagine vivacious Jim Smart, with his pink tailored shirt and trendy eyeglasses, growing up in a small town in north central Wisconsin. He is, after all, the head of a well-known design firm that specializes in restaurants and retail stores, including Minneapolis’s Ichibans and Hubert White’s in the IDS and Pop!! in St. Paul. He and his wife, Cindie, can be spotted all around town at galas and political fundraisers—Jim usually sporting a smile and a kilt. “I like parties,” Smart says with a mischievous grin. “But I like knowing that I helped even more.”

It all started in Park Falls, Wisconsin, where his parents’ property sat on the bank of a well-traveled canoeing area. Whenever canoers would get stuck or stranded, Smart says, his parents were the first to lend a helping hand. “In my hometown, everyone takes care of each other,” he says. “We are in a big city, but it is still our hometown. It’s still heartwarming to see us help each other out.”

And that is exactly what Smart has done. He’s happy to sit on the board of the Illusion and Park Square theaters or join the committees of half a dozen other theater groups, throw galas for Arc Greater Twin Cities or Children’s Heartlink, or lobby at the Capitol for more funding for the Children’s Theatre Company. He admits he has trouble saying no to people asking for help, but will walk away if underutilized. “I have no problem strong-arming or cajoling people to help out a cause, I love throwing a gala and making piles more money than the year before,” he says. “But I also don’t have a problem stepping off boards that don’t use me and finding one that will.”

Right now, it’s the DFL that’s getting most of the Smarts’ attention. He and his wife have been heavily involved with campaigns for many Democratic candidates, including Al Franken, Amy Klobuchar, Keith Ellison, and Barack Obama.

But when the votes have been cast, Smart believes he will turn his attention back to the community he has grown to love since moving here to attend college. “We have a commitment to make our community a better place,” says Smart. “This is such a great place to live—it’s a beautiful city.”