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Sharon Smith Holston

Sharon Smith Holston co-owns Holston Originals (est. 1972) with her artist husband, Joseph Holston. Ms. Holston manages her husband’s professional career, working with a variety of public and private organizations, including galleries, museums, and universities, that are interested in acquiring, exhibiting, and commissioning his work.  She also arranges lectures, talks, and other appearances on his behalf.  Ms. Holston also coordinates Holston Originals’ numerous charitable activities benefiting a variety of educational and art institutions and organizations.

Ms. Holston retired from the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), completing a 34-year career with the U. S. Government.  Prior to her retirement, she was deputy commissioner of FDA for International and Constituent Relations, representing the United States around the world in discussions and negotiations to ensure the safety of foods, human drugs and biological products, animal foods and medical devices imported into the United States.

In addition to her international responsibilities, Ms. Holston was also responsible for strengthening relationships and fostering greater understanding between the Food and Drug Administration and a variety of special audiences.  She provided executive leadership on special outreach efforts, and represented FDA in areas of women’s health, consumer affairs, outreach to patients with life-threatening diseases, health professionals, members of Congress, as well as the press and other media organizations.

Ms. Holston received numerous awards during her federal career and was twice awarded the Presidential Rank of Meritorious Executive, first by President George H. W. Bush, and again by President William Jefferson Clinton.

She serves on the board of directors of the historic National Woman’s Party which owns and operates the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and she holds the office of senior vice president; she is vice chair of the art advisory board of University of Maryland University College; is a member of the national advisory board for the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland at College Park; is secretary of the board of directors of WAEPA, the non-profit insurance association for employees of public agencies; and is a member of the Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Committee.

Ms. Holston is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. She received her BA degree from Barnard College at Columbia University, and her MPA degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.  She and her husband are the parents of two adult children—Joseph Ikaweba Holston and Eve Holston Ferguson.