Member Spotlight: April Smith
Posted by [email protected] on Sep. 21, 2021 / Subscribe 0
April Smith was one of SMPS Idaho’s first members and is an absolute rockstar in the A/E/C industry. We asked her about her career journey, best advice, sources of inspiration, and more. Keep reading to see what she said!
SMPS Idaho: Tell me about yourself and your current role.
April Smith: I’m a wife, mom of three children (7, 4 and 2) and a business development and marketing manager at GeoEngineers. I manage the business development and marketing efforts for our Boise and Spokane offices, as well as our national pipelines practice team. As part of the corporate marketing team, I’m also heavily involved in our annual companywide business plan, internal marketing campaigns and training staff on BD best practices. I’m currently on multiple boards and committees, including OneAEC, Women in Transportation Seminar in Spokane-Coeur d’Alene Chapter and the new SMPS Idaho Chapter! I feel very blessed to say I absolutely love my role at GeoEngineers.
SMPS Idaho: How long have you worked in the industry? What drew you to the AEC industry?
April Smith: 15 years! After I graduated from Whitworth College, I honestly didn’t know what I wanted to do. I had interviewed at another A/E firm and came in second. That firm recommended me to Bruce Williams in our Spokane office, and he took the plunge and hired me. I had incredible mentors early on in my career which led me to love the industry and all it has to offer for marketing professionals. From marketing assistant to BD and marketing manager, it’s been an incredible ride.
SMPS Idaho: Why did you become a member of SMPS?
April Smith: I’ve been involved in a similar organization (OneAEC) to SMPS for over 15 years and it’s been invaluable. SMPS, like OneAEC, is a great organization to connect with marketing colleagues in the industry, tapping into each other’s experiences and ideas and cheering each other on in our careers. Additionally, SMPS provides countless resources to help junior to senior staff grow in their career.
SMPS Idaho: What is the best career advice you’ve ever received? What piece of advice would you give a new person in our industry?
April Smith: One of my mentors, retired senior principal at GeoEngineers -- Jim Harakas, provided me a lot of advice related to working hard, developing genuine relationships and making the time to connect with colleagues. The most important advice—and he exemplified this every day--was to always be responsive. Responsiveness might seem obvious, but it tells your colleagues and clients that you are dependable and value them.
The advice I try to exemplify is that when you help others succeed in accomplishing their goals, you will also succeed. By anticipating someone’s need for help on a pursuit, advocating for a colleague to a client and showing appreciation for someone’s help and hard work, it shows your colleagues and clients that you care about them and their success. It’s very fulfilling to me.
SMPS Idaho: What is your current obsession or source of inspiration? Why?
April Smith: I’m currently obsessed with being active every day – whether it’s a boot camp work out, walking or running. About three years ago, I made a commitment to exercising and it’s helped me mentally and physically. Between being active and my daily Starbucks dose, I feel ready to crush it at work every day.
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