Baylor alumna leads statewide efforts to improve kidney health

It’s one thing to find a career. It’s another to find a calling.

When Tiffany Jones‑Smith (BA ’95) graduated from Baylor, she couldn’t have known that her future would involve leading a statewide health initiative. Still, her heart for service and community was already clear. Today, as president and CEO of the Texas Kidney Foundation and chair of the Texas Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force, she’s become a fierce advocate for health equity, early screening, and life-saving policy. Her work reaches thousands of Texans each year, especially in communities where access to care has been historically limited.

Jones‑Smith’s mission is deeply personal. After losing 15 family members to kidney disease and discovering she carries a high-risk genetic marker herself, she turned her grief into action. Under her leadership, the foundation has screened more than 16,000 people, reached over 1 million Texas households with educational campaigns, and built the state’s largest community-based kidney health dataset. Her approach combines research, policy and storytelling — all grounded in her philosophy of “Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” For her efforts, Jones-Smith was honored this fall by the Baylor Black Alumni Alliance with the Mrs. Barbara Walker Distinguished Black Alumni Achievement Award.

A trailblazer in more ways than one, Jones‑Smith is the first woman, the first African American, and the first person living with a genetic kidney condition to lead the state’s kidney disease task force. She’s also using cutting-edge tools like AI to predict and prevent kidney problems earlier, while amplifying patient voices through her podcast, “On the Record with Tiffany and Kevin.” It’s a unique blend of science, empathy, and lived experience — and it’s changing the way Texas approaches chronic disease.

Jones‑Smith credits her time at Baylor with shaping both her faith and her focus. As a student, she studied English, philosophy, and political science, a foundation that prepared her for a career rooted in advocacy and impact. Today, her work is a powerful reminder of what happens when purpose meets passion.

Sic ’em, Tiffany!