• By Shontell Robinson
• Posted Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Christa Smith will be new director of Forsyth County Social Services

Christa Smith will be the new director of the Forsyth County Department of Social Services starting January 20th.

Smith currently serves as Deputy Director and has been serving as Interim Director for the last two months. She emerged as the top candidate after the county conducted a nationwide search. As Forsyth County’s Social Services Director, she’ll oversee a department with 550 employees that facilitates a variety of benefits to help individuals and families, provides protective services for children and adults, oversees foster and adoptive services, and enforces child support.

“Forsyth County is my home and having worked here at Forsyth County Social Services for over 11 years, I care about this community and outcomes for the residents we serve,” said Smith. “I look forward to the new challenges, partnerships and opportunities this new role presents and can't wait to get started.”

Health and Human Services (HHS) Director/Deputy County Manager Shontell Robinson, who will supervise the position, led a rigorous national recruitment process. Several HHS Board members interviewed the finalists and unanimously recommended Smith as the new director.

“Christa’s background as a social worker, as well as her experience in Forsyth County as a Deputy Director and a Planning Manager, make her the best choice to lead our Department of Social Services,” HHS Board Chair Heather Parker said. “She has immense personal passion for serving our most vulnerable children and adults as demonstrated by a lifelong career in social services. Her internal knowledge of the department will allow her to immediately begin to lead and motivate the DSS staff as they strive to serve Forsyth County citizens.”

Smith has worked for Forsyth County for more than 11 years and has served as the Deputy Director since April 2022. She has more than 20 years of experience in social services, which includes being a Human Services Evaluation and Planning Manager and Sr. Social Worker Supervisor in Forsyth County, a Social Work Supervisor in Davie County, and a Social Worker in Davidson County.

Smith has a Bachelor of Social Work from UNC-Charlotte and a Master of Public Affairs from UNC-Greensboro.

HHS Board Vice Chair Fleming El-Amin, who also participated in the interview process, congratulated Smith on her new position. “Your dedication to the mission of Forsyth DSS for 11 years and your personal professional growth and development as an integral part of the department has ample prepared you to continue leading DSS as the new Director,” he said. “As Vice Chair of the HHS Board, I look forward to working with you.”