Smit was born in
't Harde,
Gelderland in 1957. He went to the Dr. W.A. Visser 't Hooft
lyceum in
Leiden between 1970 and 1976. He studied theology at
Leiden University between 1976 and 1983 with side courses in masscommunication and public relations. In 1979 he already returned to his former lyceum to teach courses in religion and life stance, he continued until 1984. In that year he became a preacher at the
Dutch Reformed Church in
Ellecom, where he stayed on for four years. He then became a mental caretaker in the Dutch Army at
Seedorf, Lower Saxony in Germany, also for four years. In 1992 he again became a preacher at the
Dutch Reformed Church, this time in
Heemstede. He stayed on until 1997. At the start of his term he said he would focus on making the province level of government more visible and ensuring that trust of the population would be made a priority. ==References==