Laurel Spellman Smith is a two-time regional Emmy® award-winning producer of national and local programs for PBS, including The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and the documentary Faith & Fear: The Children of Krishna. She became an independent producer in 2003; in addition to Oil & Water, she co-directed and produced the women’s health documentary Busting Out, which aired on Showtime, and the Iraq War documentary The Corporal’s Diary, seen on PBS stations, Al Jazeera English, and Link TV. She is an annual juror for the News and Documentary Emmy® Awards.