Michelle Smith, CPSM
Since 2023
Active
SMPS Charlotte member
AEC marketing professional
Michelle leads comprehensive marketing and business development strategy for McFarland Construction, supporting the firm’s mission of creating opportunities within communities where they build through commitment to excellence, diversity, and collaboration. As Director of Marketing for a minority-owned commercial construction firm founded in 2010 and recognized as Charlotte’s 4th largest Black-owned company and largest Black-owned general contractor in the region, she oversees strategic positioning, brand development, client communications, proposal coordination, and community engagement initiatives that have contributed to extraordinary growth from a spare bedroom startup to over $35 million in annual revenue.
Her expertise spans construction marketing, direct and digital marketing, content development, graphic design, public relations, and strategic communications with deep specialization in professional services marketing across the architecture, engineering, and construction industry. Michelle brings comprehensive knowledge of AEC marketing best practices described in her professional approach as “results-oriented and performance-driven” with a proven ability to combine strong project management and leadership skills with creativity and resourcefulness to support marketing and sales efforts, increase efficiencies, and promote corporate growth.
Her dual educational foundation from the University of Florida in Finance and University of South Florida College of Business Administration provides distinctive capabilities in understanding both the financial/business fundamentals of construction and the marketing/communications strategies needed to position competitive advantage. This combination enables Michelle to speak the language of construction leadership while translating business goals into effective marketing campaigns that resonate with clients, partners, and community stakeholders.
Michelle demonstrates exceptional professional leadership through her CPSM certification and sustained active engagement with SMPS, where she regularly participates in conferences including the Southern Regional Conference and actively shares insights, celebrates colleague achievements, and builds the collaborative community that defines successful professional services marketing. Her authentic social media presence reflects genuine enthusiasm for AEC marketing connections—reconnecting with “marketing friends” at conferences and highlighting industry trends that advance the profession.
As Director of Marketing at McFarland Construction, Michelle contributes to marketing leadership for a firm with extraordinary growth trajectory and community impact. Founded by President/CEO Tino McFarland in a spare bedroom in 2010, the company has become one of Charlotte’s largest and fastest-growing Black-owned businesses through strategic planning, relationship-focused leadership, and unwavering commitment to the core values of Community, Commitment, and Collaboration.
Michelle’s marketing leadership supports a firm recognized with multiple prestigious honors including Charlotte Business Journal’s 4th Largest Black-Owned Company (two consecutive years), CBJ Best Places to Work (2020), and CBJ Fast 50 list ranking #13 for revenue growth between 2017-2019. The company’s revenue grew an estimated 70% in 2020 despite pandemic disruptions, and expanded 80% between 2017-2019—growth that reflects both business development excellence and the compelling brand positioning that Michelle helps create and communicate.
Her work supports McFarland’s mission as a minority-owned small business that takes pride in promoting project diversity and tailored client service. The firm’s values-driven approach—emphasizing community engagement, commitment to promises, and collaborative problem-solving—requires marketing that authentically communicates these principles while demonstrating capability to deliver complex projects for some of the Southeast’s most respected clients including Duke Energy, Charlotte Housing Authority (Inlivian), Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, UNC Charlotte, and various federal Department of Defense facilities.
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