Janene Eller-Smith gets green. Whether it’s obtaining the green to fund the renovation of multiple buildings or assisting in the city’s plans to make a more eco-friendly Ogden, Utah, she’s the go-to gal.
Eller-Smith, a 1990 JD/MPA graduate, works as a policy analyst for the Ogden City Council. One of her prime responsibilities is to research and prepare briefs for city council members concerning the initiatives to be discussed in their weekly council meeting.
“It’s always interesting to educate yourself on topics, then turn around and give people the information objectively so they can reach their own conclusions,” Eller-Smith says.
Many of these initiatives Eller-Smith researches are centered on creating a greener Ogden. Although it is still early in the process, Ogden has already made strides to be more eco-friendly.
In May 2010 the city council made the transition to paperless briefing packets. The number of pages for these packets varies from twenty-five to four hundred. Eller-Smith and the city council have already saved hundreds of sheets of paper.
“Working toward a greener Ogden gets back to our stewardship of the environment—doing the best we can with what we have and taking care of it,” Eller-Smith says.
In addition to becoming greener with its resources, Ogden is seeking to enhance its natural environment. A river restoration project is in place as well as continued improvements to the trail system curving through scenic Ogden.
Before working for Ogden City Council, Eller-Smith worked for Ogden’s mayor from 1996 to 2009. While there, she worked on a public relations plan to pass bonds to construct a new public safety center and public works building and to renovate the historic Ogden City municipal building. After all the bonds passed she served as the building coordinator for the projects until their completion.
“Through that experience I learned the importance of the public process in governmental policies,” she says. “It was a very open process. We hired pollsters to visit with the people and determine their level of support and how large of a bond we could pass. Learning the process and getting input from the public was great.”
When Eller-Smith isn’t incorporating a greener way of doing things at work, she can be found campaigning for eco-friendly initiatives at home. Her latest movement is to turn off unused lights, fans, and computer equipment at home. She and her late husband, Franklin Eller, have four children. She lives in Layton, Utah, with her youngest son and her husband, Christopher Smith. Eller-Smith also enjoys quilting, crocheting, and working on embroidery projects.
