H. Dan Smith, who retired in July of 2018, was a faculty member of the Department of Counselor Education and Rehabilitation since 1978 (back in the day when it was called the Department of Advanced Studies), and served as Department Chair from 1985 to 2000. Presently, he is "FERPing," (Faculty Early Retirement Program) where he returns to campus to teach only in the Fall Semester . . . ending in 2022 and concluding 45 years of service at Fresno State! OMG! Since his retirement, he has been named "Professor Emeritus," and "Chair Emeritus" (although an honor, it actually means "really-old-dude.") During his final four years as a professor, he was the most senior faculty member of the Kremen School of Education and Human Development, and also the most senior professor at the university (meaning, "has been here longer than anybody else"). Originally from El Paso, TX (BS, MEd from University of Texas at El Paso), he received his doctorate (EdD) in Psychology, Counseling and Guidance from the University of Northern Colorado (Greeley, CO) in 1977. He became a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 1982.

Dr. Smith has always had an interest in innovative counselor supervision techniques and strategies, and in 1985 he founded the Clovis Family Counseling Center. This center began as a collaborative project between the Counselor Education Program and a local school district, and was originally designed to provide marriage and family therapy services to families and students in the district. While the Center is presently in a public rather than a school setting, it continues to provide MFT services to the community where they are greatly needed. The Center prepares our graduates for employment in agency and private practice settings. After 35 years of continuous service, this University-sponsored family counseling center is still going strong (although it is presently known as the Fresno Family Counseling Center).

Dr. Smith has been highly involved for many years with the development and promotion of the MFT profession in California. From 1995-2000 he served on the Board of Directors of the 31,000 member California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT), and was President during one of CAMFT's most important and productive periods. He was elected for a second time to the CAMFT Board of Directors for a four-year term beginning in June of 2005, and he served as President for the second time thru May 31, 2009. Dan is extremely honored to have been elected to the Presidency twice in his career! Dan also served a two-year term on the CAMFT Ethics Committee.

Dan is married to Judi and they have 5 children between them; and two grandchildren, Violet and Madison, a Chihuahua named "Daisy."

Updated: August 6, 2022