Valley Medical Center Roadway Renamed to Honor Former County Executive Jeff Smith
The beloved County leader was joined by dozens of his former colleagues at a renaming event and street sign unveiling
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. – There’s a Jeff Smith Drive in Hollis, N.H., and a Jeff Smith Road in Hempstead, Texas. A trip to Poplarville, Miss., can land on a Jeff Smith Lane, and a stop in Glennville, Ga., might get you caught on a Jeff Smith Loop.
But across the country you’ll find just one Jeffrey V. Smith Way and that’s at the entrance to Valley Medical Center in San José. At a September 4 street re-christening event in front of the hospital, Santa Clara County leaders said there’s a reason for that.
“If you’ve spent any time on this campus at all, you’ll know everything is done the Jeff Smith way,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian about the former County Executive, who retired in July 2023. “And that’s just the way it is.”
Simitian expressed that working with Smith over the years came with moments of “tremendous satisfaction” – for him, that included getting construction started last year on the new Behavioral Health Center on the VMC campus, and the creation of the first health clinic in the North County area, slated to open in Mountain View in just a few months.
“Whether it is here on the campus or around the community, we have endless occasion to say ‘thank you’ to Jeff Smith, and we are better off for having done it the Jeff Smith way,” Simitian said.
Simitian was joined by all his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors as well as County Executive James R. Williams and Chief Operating Officer Greta Hansen in lauding the former top County manager.
County Executive Williams said Dr. Smith “has such a remarkable way of providing a vision and inspiring and leading people,” and called Jeffrey V. Smith Way (formerly Renova Drive) a “very fitting tribute” to his work in the Health and Hospital System.
“For one, it symbolizes the unique way that Jeff pursued really powerful and important public service,” he said, “and second, it’s a real symbol of welcome to all of those in need in our community, who know they can get service from our Health and Hospital System.”
Board of Supervisors President Susan Ellenberg laid out some of Smith’s key achievements since assuming the post in 2009, including growing the annual County budget from $4.5 billion to $11.5 billion and increasing the workforce from 14,000 to 23,000; diversifying the executive workforce; and pushing for investments to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in County services as well as a housing bond to help the unhoused. She called his recommendation to purchase O’Connor and St. Louise Regional hospitals out of bankruptcy in 2019 “extraordinarily prescient.”
“It is in hindsight unimaginable not to have had those resources available during the COVID pandemic,” Ellenberg said. “Less than a year after that purchase was completed, COVID had shut down the country and was stealing thousands of lives every day.”
Chief Operating Officer Greta Hansen said Smith was a beacon during those “darkest days in public service” during the pandemic.
“You are such a kind, clear, thoughtful, supportive, wonderful presence who got me through some of those most challenging times,” she told Smith. “I could name dozens of leaders in the County organization who stayed deeply committed to the work and got through some of the toughest times in their tenderest years only because of the support that you provided to all of us.”
Supervisor Cindy Chavez said that Smith was a “fierce leader … fighting bullies every step of the way” – especially during the pandemic when the County found itself at odds with the state and federal government. She also said intra-County differences often resulted in “thoughtful, rigorous debate” in the Board Chambers that could be described as fights, but that, ultimately, a greater good came out of such interactions.
“The outcome of every single one of those debates was better services for the people we are obligated to serve,” she said. “And the thing you never forgot, not once, not ever, is who we are obligated to serve.”
Supervisor Sylvia Arenas called Smith a “rock star” deserving of signage representing his myriad accomplishments for all to see as they drive by the VMC Campus on Bascom Avenue.
“We now have a sign that personifies this journey, the road that you led us all on,” Arenas said. “Now the rest of our community will be able to recognize that.”
Supervisor Otto Lee said Smith is in good company – the last honorific street name change was done in 2021 when a stretch alongside SAP Center in San José was renamed Barack Obama Boulevard. He also credited Smith’s foresight in orchestrating the purchase of O’Connor and St. Louise Regional hospitals.
“We’re now moving forward to do the same with Regional Medical Center and thanks to your leadership, we have a roadmap to do this,” Lee said.
Jeff Smith, who lives in Martinez, said he misses his role with the County and still keeps a close eye on South Bay goings-on: “I don’t think I’ll ever stop watching,” he said. He’s excited about the County’s planned purchase of Regional Medical Center and predicted the future is bright for the County, even though there may always be some bumps on the horizon.
“Even though it feels difficult right now, and there are challenges abiding every day, you'll make it through,” he said. “It's going to get a lot better.”
He said one of his longtime tenets is that all County employees need to consider themselves a leader, no matter their role.
“Whatever you happen to be doing, you're a leader and you're responsible for the success of the entire County, not just the success of what you do,” he said. “And I really still do believe that, and I think I'm surrounded here by people who also believe that, who will go forward and make things better.”