WHO WE ARE: NORA SMITH

Nora Smith’s passion is to imagine the future needs of an organization and to discover the kind of person whose gifts can help that organization thrive.  She’s a connector who enjoys finding what she calls “the synchronous” in systems and relationships.

 

Her gifts have served her well as an Episcopal priest who has been responsible for leading clergy transitions in the Diocese of New York. Working with congregations of all sizes, she finds ways to match gifts and calls, seeing possibilities that others might overlook.

 

Prior to her work with the Diocese, Nora served for ten years as a parish priest in both urban and suburban contexts. Beyond her parish responsibilities, she served as the bishop search committee chairperson and a member of the diocesan commission on ministry. She represented her diocese to the Episcopal Church’s General Convention and served on task forces about church leadership, vocational discernment, and bishops. She was also responsible for guiding her diocese in the implementation of its strategic plan and served on the task force on financial matters in that strategy process.

 

Prior to her work for the church, Nora had a twenty-year career in the fashion footwear industry, first as a buyer for Macy’s and then as a wholesale executive and vice president of sales for the brands Bandolino, Keds, and Kate Spade. This experience honed her ability to see and understand trends and imagine their future impact. She finds joy in seeing the “big picture” while listening deeply to uncover the incremental steps needed to reach a goal.

 

Nora has an Master of Divinity from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Brandeis University. When not working, she can be found reading, gardening, and studying the Irish language. Nora dotes on her rescue pitbulls, Gracie and Casper (who have their own Instagram) and enjoys the good fortune of being married to an actual chef. She and her family split their time between Upstate New York and Vermont.