Brittany Smith
Brittany Smith is an accomplished Compliance Manager at the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA), where she oversees regulatory compliance, housing quality inspections, and operational excellence across more than 10,000 housing units. With over a decade of experience spanning financial services, public housing, and risk management. Brittany has consistently driven high-performance outcomes, ensuring adherence to HUD and federal guidelines. She leads cross-functional teams, develops comprehensive training programs, and implements process improvements that enhance service delivery and compliance outcomes for property owners and tenants alike. Her professional journey reflects a unique blend of finance, banking, and public sector expertise. Brittany has successfully managed audits, remediation of high-risk cases, and operational oversight across diverse organizations, including Freddie Mac, Fifth Third Bank, and Primerica. Known for her meticulous attention to detail and strategic mindset, she has strengthened internal control frameworks, optimized program operations, and championed equitable access to affordable housing. Her work has contributed to CMHA’s recognition as a HUD High Performer year after year. Beyond her professional achievements, Brittany is deeply committed to community engagement and mentorship. She has served as Outreach Director for Young Adult Christians for Christ and as a Job Coach for The ViaQuest Foundation, guiding high school students with developmental disabilities in job readiness skills. Brittany’s dedication to integrity, compliance, and community impact underscores her professional ethos, and she continues to inspire those around her through leadership, education, and a passion for meaningful service.
• Certified Insurance Consultant License
• Thomas More University – Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Business Administration and Management
• Cum Laude, Thomas More University
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my passion for service, impact, leadership, and my dedication to maintaining integrity and operational excellence in every role I take on. I feel that my current position is truly a form of divine intervention that allows me to make a meaningful impact.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Find what you are passionate about, your reason for existence, and you will never work a day in your life! Also, what is your why? Going through life aimlessly leads nowhere. This is truly what motivates me. Passion and purpose wake me up daily to achieve my personal and professional goals rooted in my why, to leave a lasting positive impact on those I serve.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Discover your passion, your reason for existence, and it will take you far. It will lead you to rooms designed for you. You will meet people who will be moved to open a door that leads you into your destiny. Ultimately, being in alignment with your calling will take you far and allow your gift(s) to make room for you.
Advice specific to this industry would be to truly recognize, first, whether you are called to public service. It is rewarding, but it can often be a thankless job. Do not come to the field to be praised, but with a heart to serve the public. We serve a population that is often overlooked and truly needs the resources and services we provide. I would also suggest finding a mentor in the field. One who has experience and knowledge specific to your field, as it may aid in your success. Additionally, you must learn the federal rules and regulations of your program or field.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenges and opportunities in the affordable housing arena are very similar. There is a severe lack of affordable housing and funding to sustain or expand housing options for low-income families. Expanding the options will have a positive impact on this population and shared communities as a whole. Forming lasting partnerships with real estate investors and developers, with the support of local municipalities, who share the vision of improving communities and positively impacting lives, will promote change in local communities.
Additionally, there is a need for mental health services that are needed in partnership with addressing the low stock of affordable housing.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My faith in Jesus Christ and family are most important to me. Both fuel me and directly correlate with how I show up daily as I strive to display and walk in the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Goals that I strive for daily. This is from a position of meekness and wisdom. As the saying goes, "you catch more bees with honey."
Integrity and ethics are deeply woven into those characteristics that are in alignment, I feel, with compliance and leadership. Are we doing the right thing and is it in line with our shared goals and values? Family, faith, and my past experiences add a level of depth for me that allows me to show up authentically each day.