Each year, the President’s Award is given to one GRACE employee that demonstrates an outstanding performance in upholding GRACE values. The award is presented at the August meeting of the Board of Directors, the end of our fiscal year. Nominees are selected by the GRACE leadership team, and the final recipient is decided by the Board President.
This year, the award was presented to Martisha Smith, the GRACE Transitional Housing Manager!
Martisha started her tenure at GRACE in October of 2020. She came to us with a degree in Social Work and years of experience working in case management, student intervention, and supervision of programs. To be successful running a transitional housing program, a person needs a unique combination of administrative skills, interpersonal skills, good judgement and organizational skills. Building a solid relationship is key in working with clients but also with staff and volunteers.
A strong case manager needs to be able to hold people accountable for missing opportunities for improvement while at the same time helping to build the person’s self-esteem and hope. All of these are talents that Martisha uses to successfully assist individuals in becoming the best version of themselves that they can be. GRACE is lucky to have Martisha and as we look ahead at expanding the transitional housing program, we can think of no one better to lead the charge!
Martisha also involves herself heavily in the spirit and community of GRACE. She serves on the Diversity & Inclusion Committee, the Staff Retreat Committee, and remains active in the Southlake Chamber. Martisha is a positive, influential, and integral member of the team.
Congratulations Martisha on a truly well-deserved award!
