Long before she became an educator and industry leader, Smith spent more than 25 years in the automotive industry. The experience gave her firsthand knowledge of manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain operations, but it also showed her the growing need for a skilled workforce. When the opportunity arose to transition into education, she recognized a chance to do more than teach. She could help students discover careers they may never have considered while preparing them to enter an industry that continues to evolve through technology, automation, and innovation.
Today, Smith serves as the Logistics, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing Instructor at Robert W. Groves High School, where she works to ensure students graduate with more than a diploma. Through industry certifications, workplace skills, and connections with employers, her students gain the tools and confidence needed to begin meaningful careers.
She has also expanded the school's pathway program by building strong relationships with industry partners, creating opportunities for students to gain real world experience while helping employers connect with tomorrow's workforce. For Smith, there is no greater reward than seeing students achieve success before they even graduate.
Additionally, Smith serves as president of the Transportation, Industrial, and Logistics Education Association of Georgia (TIEGA) and was selected as an ACTE National Leadership Fellow for 2026. Through both roles, she advocates for career and technical education while supporting workforce development initiatives that strengthen the transportation industry at both the state and national levels.
Throughout her career, Smith has also navigated industries where women have traditionally been underrepresented. Those experiences reinforced her belief that preparation, professionalism, and consistently delivering results are the strongest ways to build credibility. This perspective influences the way she mentors students and encourages more women to pursue leadership opportunities throughout transportation and logistics.
As a member of WIT, Smith has found a network of professionals who share her commitment to advancing women and strengthening the industry through collaboration, leadership, and professional growth. She plans to continue expanding industry partnerships, increasing student credential attainment, and creating even more pathways that connect education directly with successful careers.
Smith openly shares that she failed her first year of college and was once told she was not college material. Rather than accepting someone else's expectations, she used those words as motivation, eventually earning a Doctor of Business Administration degree and dedicating her career to helping others recognize their own potential.
As she puts it, "my mission is to help students break the paper ceiling and discover careers that can transform their lives."
As a member of the Women In Trucking Association, stay on top of emerging trends and business issues impacting transportation and logistics; learn the importance of gender diversity in the workplace and the need for more women drivers; and see best practices in encouraging the employment of women in the trucking industry. Join today! Learn More