Dr. Brenda Smoke is a native of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She performed her undergraduate at Northern Michigan University and too received her Doctorate from the Illinois College of Optometry with honors. Her externship was served at the Fort Sheridan Army Hospital and the Illinois Eye Institute. She is an active member of the American Optometric Association and has served as Secretary/Treasurer for 4 terms and three years as President to the Southwestern Michigan Optometric Association. She was awarded the Michigan Optometric Association Key Person Award in 2007 for her work in legislative areas of health and eye care. She remains active as both the state and federal legislative key person providing professional insights into legislative issues impacting the visual welfare of those residing in the districts she serves. She volunteers as an Infant SEE provider, a program that provides free eye care to infants from birth to one year of age.
Dr. Smoke currently serves as secretary of St. Anthony's Finance Council, Diocese of Kalamazoo Pastoral Council and a board member of the Unity Hospital Fund of Michigan Gateway Community Foundation. She previously served five years on the St. Mary's School Board and was vice-president for two years. She is currently a member of the New Buffalo Lions Club and the Chamber of Commerce in Buchanan, Dowagiac and New Buffalo. She is a past president of the Buchanan Area Chamber of Commerce, Buchanan Downtown Development Authority, board member of the Buchanan Township Planning Commission and member of the Lakeland Regional Health Systems Women's Health Advisory Board. She also volunteers her time to educating community groups about important eye care issues, providing vision screenings and raising funds for the visually needed through the S'mores for Sight program.
Her personal passions include spending time with family and friends. Enjoying the great outdoors hunting, fly fishing, hiking and playing the guitar. She has been recognized by the Michigan DNR receiving it's Master Angler award. She enjoys her membership in the Bear Creek Rod Club which devotes time to outdoor recreation and river clean up.
