Ron Smith has worked in the communications field for more than 30 years. He has served as a newspaper reporter, newspaper editor, magazine publisher and editor, and public relations counselor.

Ron began his career while in high school by working as a writer for a weekly newspaper. He worked his way through college as an employee of various newspapers, and he completed his last two years of college while working at a newspaper full-time. He was a reporter and then city editor of a daily North Carolina newspaper for six years before entering the public relations field.

Ron first began working in public relations on a part-time basis in 1976 and then became a full-time public relations professional in 1978. In addition to serving as an account executive for several advertising and public relations firms, he later became executive vice president of a regional public relations firm headquartered in Raleigh. He started S&A Cherokee in 1982 and has operated it continually since that time.

Ron has been a member of the Public Relations Society of America since 1976 and was accredited in 1981. He has held several positions of leadership with the North Carolina Chapter of PRSA, including being named a North Carolina Public Relations Master.