Erica Smith

As Vice President of Operations, Erica Smith partners closely with Project Shema’s CEO and CSO to build the people, systems, and structures that allow the organization to do its best work. She oversees People Operations, Program Operations, and core organizational infrastructure, with a focus on cultivating a healthy, high-performing culture rooted in trust, clarity, and belonging.

With 15 years of experience in marketing and communications, Erica brings deep expertise in building and managing complex systems, leading organization-wide rollouts, and translating strategy into clear, actionable workflows. At the heart of her work is a belief that strong operations begin with people. She leads performance management, people operations, and staff development efforts that support accountability and psychological safety, while ensuring teams have the tools, clarity, and support needed to thrive.

Before joining Project Shema, Erica built a career translating strategy into execution at organizations in the higher education and financial services sectors. She partnered closely with leadership and cross-functional teams to design workflows and implement systems that aligned people, data, and priorities in service of shared goals.

Erica earned a bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, where she double majored in International Affairs and Russian & East European Studies. She lives in central New Jersey with her husband Rick, their two elementary-school-aged children, and a very spoiled dog. She loves cold brew coffee, Broadway, summers at the Jersey Shore, and the victory of actually finishing a good book.