Dodgers VP Janet Marie Smith to be Inducted in Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame

Janet Marie Smith, Dodgers senior vice president of planning and development, will be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, Dodger Insider first reported.

Janet Marie Smith, Dodgers senior VP of planning and development, will be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame as part of its six-person Class of 2020. https://t.co/7SCLmJ2f5s

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— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) October 26, 2019

Smith is from Jackson, Mississippi and earned her degree in architecture from Mississippi State University before embarking on a career that has lasted decades. She was instrumental in the development of Camden Yards in Baltimore, overseeing the design and construction for the Orioles’ stadium in 1992. Camden Yards set the tone for a new trend in baseball stadiums in the 1990s after its opening. She also helped bring Turner Field to life for the Braves in 1996 and played a major role in expanding and preserving Fenway Park, according to Dodger Insider. Smith joined the Dodgers in 2012.

With the Dodgers, Smith has overseen several expansion projects Dodger Stadium, including the current $100 million dollar renovation that includes a new center field plaza and two elevators (although that is currently being met by some community push back). She has also overseen the expansion of Campo Las Palmas, the Dodgers’ development facility in the Dominican Republic.

Smith told Dodger Insider that being part of the Dodgers organization is particularly special for her because she first fell in love with baseball while living in Los Angeles in the 1980s.

She will join former 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, former NBA player Antonio McDyess, Mississippi State athletic director Larry Templeton, late pro golfer Pete Brown, and high school baseball coach Jerry Boatner on Aug. 1, 2020 as inductees of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.