Erin Smith (maiden name Shults) was the first graduate of Dawn Pierce's studio at Ithaca College. While at Ithaca, Erin studied Music and Speech Communication. She served the campus community as President of the Epsilon chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity, President of Premium Blend all-female a cappella, a Leadership Scholar, and a Resident Assistant. Her participation in SAI and Premium Blend helped Erin discover a love for arts administration, and she had her first opportunity to work in the field as the Arts Administration Intern for the very first summer of the Ithaca Opera Studio. Upon graduation in 2010, Erin went on to receive her Master of Arts in Arts Administration at the Florida State University College of Music. Throughout graduate school, she worked as a Graduate Assistant in the FSU College of Music Community Outreach Office, where she discovered a passion for donor relations and arts marketing. She also served as the Educational Outreach intern for the Tallahassee Community Chorus and the Development & Marketing Intern for the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra.
After completing her Master's degree in 2013, Erin moved to Denton, TX, becoming the first Career Advisor at the University of North Texas Career Center to specialize in fine/performing arts entrepreneurship. Most recently, Erin has joined the development team at Fort Worth Opera. She began as the Development Assistant in January 2014, and was quickly promoted to Development Associate in June 2014 - her duties include overseeing all print and digital communication for patrons giving $250-$2,499 annually, as well as grant writing.
Erin was married on June 14, 2014 to Jayson "Jay" Smith. Jay is a PhD candidate in Music Theory with a secondary concentration in Composition at the University of North Texas College of Music. The two are proud parents of a darling dachshund, Penelope. Erin still enjoys contemporary a cappella and is very active in the Denton Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota.