Ismail Smith-Wade-El was born and raised in Lancaster City, Pennsylvania. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon, he worked in a variety of fields, including behavior health, drug & alcohol rehabilitation, and social services. Most recently, his work has focused on progressive development strategies in the non-profit sector and quantitative research on housing and economic inequality.
Smith-Wade-El is proud to serve as President of Lancaster City Council, and Co-Vice Chair of the Lancaster County Democratic Committee. He is also a member of the PA State Democratic Committee.