Letitia Chambers facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Letitia Chambers
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| Nationality | American |
| Spouse(s) | Peter Plympton Smith |
Letitia Pearl Caroline Chambers was born in Oklahoma in 1943. She made history as the first woman to lead the staff of a big committee in the U.S. Senate. She also worked as a U.S. representative to the United Nations. Later, she started her own consulting company. From 2009 to 2012, she was the director of the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.
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About Letitia Chambers
Letitia Chambers started her own company, Chambers Associates Inc. For thirty years, she helped shape important rules and plans for the public. She often shared her knowledge with the U.S. Congress and in court.
Chambers lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has a daughter named Melissa. She is married to Peter Plympton Smith. He used to be a member of the United States House of Representatives from the state of Vermont.
Her Early Life
Letitia Chambers grew up in Enid, Oklahoma. Her parents were E. Wade and Anita M. Chambers. She went to the University of Oklahoma. She also earned a special degree called a doctorate from Oklahoma State University. Her studies focused on how people learn and how school lessons are planned.
Her Career Journey
Early in her career, Letitia Chambers worked for a U.S. Senate committee. This committee was in charge of rules about education, jobs, and helping people. Before that, she worked for other Senate committees, including one that looked at the government's budget.
In 1981, she started her own company, Chambers Associates. This company helped advise on public policies. In 1992, she joined the team that helped President Bill Clinton get ready for his presidency. She was a main advisor for the budget plan.
Working for the United Nations
In 1996, President Clinton chose Letitia Chambers to be a U.S. Representative to the United Nations General Assembly. The Senate approved her for this important role, which was like being an ambassador. In this job, she was part of the committee that managed the money and plans for the United Nations.
Helping New Mexico's Schools
From 2004 to 2005, Chambers led the system of colleges and universities in New Mexico. She worked to improve how these schools operated. She was in charge of overseeing all public colleges, universities, and community colleges in the state. She also helped with student loans and became a commissioner for higher education in the western states. After this, she returned to consulting work.
Leadership in Arts and Culture
Letitia Chambers has also served on the boards of many companies, especially those dealing with money. She has also been on boards for schools and charities. Many of these focused on art, especially art from American Indian cultures.
She spent ten years on the board of the Institute of American Indian Arts and Culture (IAIA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This group oversees both a college and a museum. She also helped raise money to build a new campus for the college.
Chambers was the director of the Heard Museum. She was the second woman to lead the museum, after its founder, Maie Bartlett Heard. She was also the first person with Native American heritage to lead the museum.
