Steve Smith is a retired small business owner and former president of Rover Oaks Pet Resorts in Houston and Katy, Texas. He and a partner founded the first luxury resort in 2001; and then Steve sold the two businesses in 2016 to devote more time to faith, family and friends. Before venturing into the pet world, Steve received his bachelor’s degree in biology and master’s degree in exercise physiology from Wake Forest University, followed by a very successful 20-year career in the health and fitness arena. Most of those “pre-pet” years were devoted to developing and managing corporate fitness centers for Fortune 500 companies including Coca-Cola, Minute Maid, Chevron, Abbot Laboratories, and Citibank.

Steve’s community service activities have included volunteering and supporting a number of non-profit agencies including the American Heart Association, Citizens for Animal Protection, PAWS Houston, and Christian Community Service Center. He has also served on the board of directors of the American Heart Association/Houston Division, Lakes of 610 Property Owners Association, and PAWS Houston, a Houston agency that helped sustain relationships between pet owners and their pets for terminally ill or chronically ill patients.

Steve is married to Patti Osburn, and they live in Bellaire, Texas. Steve and Patti are devoted members of Bellaire United Methodist Church where Steve has served in a number of leadership and committee roles.
In 2016, when Steve was serving as Lay Leader, he met Gaston Warner, CEO of Zoe Empowers. After their short conversation, Steve became intrigued by the organization and the empowerment model that Gaston had described. So he studied Zoe’s website and read the Annual Review….and he was hooked! Since that time, Steve and Patti have led the effort at their church to support Zoe. As a result, either the church or individual church members have become empowerment partners for a total of 21 groups and 1,837 orphans and vulnerable children.