Shelby Smith, Corporate Office Properties Trust. Top 40 under 40

Shelby Smith serves as Property Manager at Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT). She is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operation of COPT’s portfolio in Huntsville, Alabama, consisting of the 468-acre master planned, mixed-use, EUL project Redstone Gateway, as well as the Class A office building located at 310 The Bridge Street. The overall portfolio currently consists of over 2.1M square feet of Class A office and retail space. Shelby earned the Certified Property Manager designation from the Institute of Real Estate Management.

Outside of her role at COPT, she is Vice President of the Building and Managers Association (BOMA) Huntsville, Legislative Affairs Committee Representative for IREM Alabama Chapter 43, and a member of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Huntsville Chapter. Shelby is active in the community as a volunteer with the AUM Foundation and an upcoming graduate of the Connect Class 25 with Leadership Greater Huntsville. She previously served on the Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. volunteer committee. Shelby graduated from Athens State University with a degree in Human Resource Management.

How is your experience unique in your field, and what are you doing personally to innovate and produce change in your field?

With anything in life, I believe the key to producing change is to never become complacent and always seek ways to improve. Since I’ve only been in the commercial real estate industry for six years, it’s imperative to learn from others who have successfully adapted to change. Our Regional Director of Operations, Marshanne Castro, has been one that I would like to continue to learn from as it relates to leadership and innovation in property management. She currently serves on a sustainability committee to seek ways of introducing sustainable methods to our portfolio.

What’s your favorite restaurant in town?

A difficult one! Taco Mama is my family’s go to!

What are your hobbies?

I’ve always enjoyed interior decorating, floral arranging, and crafting.