Meet Emma Smith

As ghSMART's Compliance Specialist, Emma is the go-to expert for navigating the intricate world of laws, regulations, and best practices. Her passion for compliance, paired with her experience in human resources, recruiting, and employee relations, helps ensure the firm runs smoothly and confidently. Emma’s thoughtful approach not only minimizes risks but also empowers her colleagues to focus on what they do best.

Can you tell us about your background and what you were up to before landing at ghSMART?

Before ghSMART, I was living and studying business at the University of Missouri in St. Louis. I moved to Atlanta about 10 years ago and started working in recruiting and employee relations roles. I was enjoying life—just me and my dog, Rocky. Right before starting with ghSMART, I decided to pursue my master’s degree in human resources and Employee Relations with a concentration in Employment Law through Penn State University. Shortly after starting my studies, I met my husband, Chad.

What inspired you to join the team at ghSMART?

At one of my previous roles, I had the pleasure of working alongside Casey Kennedy (who is a fellow colleague here). She was such an amazing colleague at that company—and still is, now that we’re both at ghSMART! Casey took me under her wing and taught me everything she knew as we had parallel roles at that time. A couple years later, she left to come to ghSMART. Another year or so went by, and then a member of ghSMART’s recruiting team reached out about a potential role here and I jumped at the chance to interview! I absolutely loved working with Casey and, after learning more about the culture at ghSMART, I knew I wanted to join this firm.

What does your day-to-day work as a compliance specialist at ghSMART look like?

My day-to-day work can vary depending on what I’m working on, the day of the week, or the time of the year. Generally, I usually start my mornings responding to emails that came in overnight. Then I move on to projects and ”to dos” that are currently active. This can involve a variety of compliance tasks large and small—updating privacy notice language, completing risk assessments, onboarding independent contractors and vendors, developing a framework for a new regulation or technology tool that is being implemented, establishing workers comp insurance when a new employee arrives, running data privacy audits, and more. Throughout my day, I will take breaks from my more structured tasks and complete any contracting items that come in. During Q4, I was heavily focused on renewing our corporate risk insurance.

What excites or motivates you the most about your work?

What excites me most about my work is that it’s always changing. Laws and regulations are always being introduced or changing in their requirements—and as our firm grows, our compliance needs to grow with it.

Do you have a favorite moment with a colleague that you could share with us?

There are so many that come to mind that it’s hard to choose a specific moment. But one of my favorite things that ghSMART does is pair you up with a mentor when you first start. I was not expecting this to be a life-changing pairing, but it has been.

My mentor has become so much more than a professional guide; she’s now someone I deeply admire and consider a close friend. She has been there through the highs and lows of my professional life as well as my personal life, offering her guidance but also her friendship. This connection has been a highlight for sure.

What do you appreciate most about the flexibility at ghSMART, and how does it enrich your life beyond work?

As most people know, my daughter has cystic fibrosis. This comes with a few more doctor appointments than most children have. The only way I’m able to advocate for Penelope as much as I do is because of the flexibility I have at ghSMART. Since I can be flexible in my role, I’m able to personally take her to all of her appointments and be fully present for her care. This is invaluable to me and my family.

How do you feel empowered to bring your full self to work each day?

This is easy! I’m able to be my full self because of my relationship with my colleagues, the amazing growth we have seen and continue to see, and just the fact that I truly love what I do. Each day is something different, and I am constantly learning new things. On top of that, I get to work with the best people on the planet!

How do you feel your role contributes to the growth of ghSMART?

My goal in my role is to ensure that everyone feels supported as much as they can when it comes to compliance and contracting. I’m always looking to improve and stay up to date on the changing laws that affect us. I hope to contribute to ghSMART’s growth by making compliance and contracting something that is understandable and easy to incorporate (within the lines of the law) into my colleagues’ work.

Tell us something that most people might not know about you.

I grew up in the music industry and around the arts. My dad was the youngest principal percussionist in the country back in the 90s, so I attended more concerts and musicals before the age of 10 than most people do in a lifetime. It made for a very fun childhood! Fun fact—my dad had the privilege of playing with Ray Charles, Smokey Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald, Barry White, and many other amazing artists!

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Emma’s full bio can be found here.