Get to know: Carrie Smith
From her first accounting course in high school, Carrie Smith was hooked. As university assistant budget director, Smith shares the different aspects of her role, her inspiration and her overwhelming love for Disney.
How would you best describe your role as university assistant budget director, and what does your typical workday look like?
My role involves managing the day-to-day operations of the Budget Office. Our office works with general funds (including tuition and appropriations from the state), auxiliary and fee funds, capital project budgets and personnel budgets for all university fund types. We also work closely with the UNC System Office on any new funding coming to our campus and information requests.
A typical day usually starts with assessing new funding requests or reports that need information. The day evolves depending on new deadlines that come to campus with a tighter turnaround time.
What is the most challenging part of your job? Most rewarding?
The most challenging part of my job is knowing what fiscal year I’m currently working with. Besides the obvious year for our current financials, our office is looking ahead to the next biennium for the state to start planning, looking at the past year to see how we finished the year, and five years into the future for some capital projects. As a manager, the most rewarding part of my job is sharing the knowledge with our current staff to make sure they have what they need to succeed.
What’s your most memorable experience as an employee?
There have been a few experiences on campus during my tenure where the campus community has come together to show that we all care about each other. Everyone steps up and takes on tasks that may not have been in their job descriptions. Another memorable experience was one of the first football games on campus. You could feel the excitement of the students, alumni and community in the stands.
What drew you to the field of financial services?
Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. I took one accounting class in high school and was completely hooked. Numbers have always made sense to me. Being a part of Financial Services allows me to do what I love with the added benefit of seeing students succeed at our university.
What/Who inspires you in your career?
My family inspires me; they always encourage me in every obstacle and aspect of my life.
What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
Tackle your long-term goals by winning the moment right in front of you.
What is a fun fact others may not know about you?
A fun fact about me is that my husband allowed me to turn one room in our house into a library like Belle has in Beauty and the Beast. Another fun fact if that’s not obvious is that we love all things Disney.