Nevada Senator Debbie Smith: President of NCSL.

• Position: THE FINAL WORD - Interview

Running for school board generally is not the first thing that pops into young adults' minds when they're figuring out how to spend their time. But that's what Senator Smith did. She was only 22 when she was elected to her rural school board near Sparks, Nev. Having children only increased her desire to be part of the public conversation. She became president of the Nevada PTA, a member of the National PTA Board and chair of the Council to Establish Academic Standards, where she led efforts to pass the state's first academic standards.

The wife, mother of three and grandmother of two was elected to the Nevada Assembly in 2000 and then the Senate in 2012. Her desire to learn and collaborate drew her to NCSL, she says, where she's been active for the last decade. She took the helm as president at the Legislative Summit last August. NCSL's Jane Carroll Andrade sat down with Senator Smith to find out her plans and what makes her tick.

As president, what are your priorities for NCSL?

To be the biggest cheerleader for the organization. I would like to have more legislators and staff from all the states participate. We truly aren't just bipartisan--we are nonpartisan--and I want to make sure legislators know and feel that, especially when they come to our meetings.

Why is NCSL important to legislators and legislative staff today?

NCSL can turn information around quickly and tell us what's happening in other states. For lawmakers working in such a fast-paced environment, access to that kind of information is so important. NCSL really provides that for us.

You were pretty young when you got involved in public service. What motivated you?

I've always been interested in how things happen, and I've always wanted to have my say. I could see that the decisions being made affected me in my daily life, and eventually--when I had children--affected my children. I wanted to help influence those decisions.

We hear so much about polarization in politics. What do you do to get past that?

I try to always be respectful of another point of view. My Senate is small--there are only 21 of us--and so you really do need to work across the aisle to get things accomplished.

It worries me that in today's environment, it seems harder to transition from the extreme polarization of the campaign environment to the legislative environment. But you...