Susie Smith, CPSM
Since NA
Active
SMPS San Francisco Bay Area member
AEC marketing professional
Susie leads comprehensive marketing strategy and business development for Noll & Tam Architects, a distinguished Berkeley-based architecture firm founded in 1992 specializing in uncommon spaces for the common good. With over 30 years in practice and 40+ creative professionals including 15+ LEED Accredited Professionals, Noll & Tam has established a reputation for community-centered design excellence in libraries, civic centers, educational facilities, and public safety buildings. The firm’s work reflects dedication to active community involvement and environmentally responsive architecture, serving municipal clients, universities, and community colleges throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
Her expertise spans pursuit strategy, proposal development and delivery, strategic marketing planning, client relationship management, and public relations. Susie brings specialized knowledge in civic architecture marketing, educational institutions, library design, and sustainable building projects. With extensive experience in both architectural firms and engineering practices, she combines creative content development with systematic business development methodologies, including CRM management, lead pipeline optimization, and marketing team mentorship.
Her comprehensive understanding of the design process, from community engagement through project completion, enables marketing leadership that positions architecture firms for competitive success while honoring the civic mission and community impact of public projects.
Susie demonstrates exceptional professional leadership through her CPSM certification earned in 2019 and her distinguished service as President of SMPS San Francisco Bay Area Chapter during the transformative 2019-2020 term. Her presidential leadership coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, where colleagues praised her compassion, nimbleness, and innovative thinking in pivoting the chapter’s programming to virtual platforms while maintaining member engagement and value. Multiple board members described her as bringing “fun energy and thoughtful leadership” while “always coming up with new ideas and making them reality.”
As chapter president, Susie led strategic planning initiatives that established a three-year strategic plan focused on embodying SMPS’s vision of business transformed through marketing leadership. She championed innovative approaches including expanding student outreach, strengthening connections between business development and marketing disciplines, and questioning the chapter’s role and credibility within the broader AEC industry. Her leadership emphasized building return on investment for members and positioning SMPS as a more trusted, integral part of the Bay Area construction community.
Beyond her presidential term, Susie has served as Immediate Past President providing continuity and mentorship to subsequent boards, and as Programs Advisor guiding the development of educational content and professional development offerings. Her commitment extends to regional leadership through participation on the SMPS Pacific Regional Conference Marketing and Communications Committee, helping shape programming that benefits AEC marketing professionals across the Western United States.
Susie’s thought leadership focuses on integrating marketing more closely with other organizational functions including human resources and finance. She has championed discussions about personalized onboarding programs, marketing KPI development, and positioning firms as marketing-led organizations. Her Twitter presence as @AECmarketer reflects her passion for “making A/E/C professionals look good and win work” and her dedication to knowledge sharing within the professional services marketing community.
Her career progression demonstrates versatility across both architectural and structural/civil engineering firms, having previously served in senior leadership roles including Director of Marketing and Associate at KPFF Consulting Engineers and Director of Marketing at Blitz architecture and interior design firm, providing cross-disciplinary perspective that enriches her strategic marketing approach.
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