EP woman honored with Doane University alumni award

Jill A. Smith of Eden Prairie will receive the Doane Builder Award from Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, during the university’s Alumni Awards Banquet on Oct. 20. The award recognizes alumni who have distinguished themselves through outstanding achievement, professional accomplishments, community service, and continued engagement with Doane University.

Smith, a 1974 graduate of Doane University, is a retired lawyer whose career included working in private practice at the Dorsey & Whitney law firm and serving as general counsel for Mayo Clinic, where she practiced law for 33 years. Her legal expertise spanned health and employment law, and she played a key role in advising on everything from medical ethics to corporate issues, contracts, and much more. Jill also served as assistant secretary to Mayo Clinic’s board of trustees, working alongside prominent figures such as Walter Mondale, Barbara Bush, and Dick Cheney.

In addition to her professional achievements, Smith’s community service has included serving on numerous boards including the Rochester Public Library, Ronald McDonald House, Legal Assistance of Olmsted County, Heart of Dance Minnesota, and the Rochester Airport Company. She has served on Doane University’s board of trustees since 1997 and held the role of chair from 2015 to 2021.

While a student at Doane, Smith majored in history and was an active leader on campus, serving as president of Omega Psi Theta sorority, participating in the Inter-Sorority Council, and earning membership in several academic honor societies. Her academic achievements earned her a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Germany following her graduation. In addition, she spent a semester studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark—an experience she credits as a defining influence on her life.

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After earning her degree summa cum laude from Doane, Smith went on to study at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Bonn, Germany, and later attended the University of Iowa College of Law, where she earned her juris doctorate with distinction.

“I am profoundly honored and incredibly grateful to receive this award,” Smith stated, expressing her appreciation for the recognition and her continued connection to the university.

Smith and her husband, Greg, are both retired and live in Eden Prairie, where they enjoy spending time with their children and grandchildren. These days, Jill cherishes her role as a grandmother, babysitting her granddaughter Charlotte once a week. The couple also loves to travel, dance, and spend time at their family cabin in Wisconsin.