Employee Insights

Meet Shelby L. Smith

Shelby L. Smith is an Autodesk Expert Elite, Civil 3D Certified Professional, and CIM Manager at Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (JMT), where she brings over 20 years of Autodesk expertise and nearly a decade of company experience to support innovation in infrastructure design. A former Site Design Engineer turned leader within JMT’s Design Center of Excellence, she serves on the Autodesk Customer Advisory Board for Infrastructure Design and the AUGI Board of Directors. Shelby contributes to the Civil 3D Certified Professional Exam as an item writer and is an active voice in the Autodesk Community—presenting at Autodesk University, co-leading the Autodesk C4C3D User Group, and engaging through the Community Blog, AutoCAD Tips, AUGI, and AUGI CON. Above all, she believes that knowledge is meant to be shared and is passionate about uplifting others in the industry through mentorship, collaboration, and community engagement.

"By utilizing modeling design, we're able to put something in front of the client where they can more accurately visualize it."

Innovation

This portfolio showcases a few innovative JMT projects Shelby has worked on.

Utilizing augmented reality to experience full-scale 3D modeling

Delivering Model Coordination available with Autodesk BIM Collaborate Pro

This pump station project alleviated flooding issues along Huger Street in Charleston, SC. Shelby was the site designer, completing all grading modeling and site plan production for civil discipline with the exception of utilities. She coordinated with the project team, assisted in training and guiding younger staff on best practices for modeling and design, and provided design support as she moved into the CIM Manager role.

Learn More about Shelby’s innovative thinking on JMT’s pump station project.

Leveraging technology to protect the City of Charleston, SC, with a modern drainage design.

Given historic Charleston’s unique drainage challenges and the importance of improved drainage in the overarching project, Shelby and JMT’s modeling team chose InfoDrainage for the stormwater drainage design portion of the project. With InfoDrainage’s close integration with Civil 3D, the team found the software easy to implement into their design cycle for the project.

Creative solutions for designing NASA’s vast underground utilities

Shelby served as the site designer for this high-profile client. The project evaluated and replaced sections of the extremely-complicated underground utility infrastructure at the Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH, improving the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the steam operations in 20 buildings.

Patriot Plaza, a space for people to gather

Shelby served as the site designer on this award-winning passive park which stretches between the Baltimore County Circuit Court and the historic courthouse in Towson, MD. The plaza features ADA access and sits on top of the Baltimore County Office of IT and Emergency Management Center. The plaza design includes a complex surface-subsurface stormwater conveyance system. She provided grading/design and coordinated and assisted the team with the production and details of the site/civil plan.

News

Read the latest news and articles Shelby has collaborated on.

Autodesk University 2024 | AECO Industry Keynote Video

Shelby joined presenters Nicolas Mangon, Sasha Crotty, and Marta Bouchard to discuss how the AECO industry continues to face serious challenges around skilled labor, supply chains, decarbonization, and siloed data. Embracing new technologies and transformation is helping businesses tackle these challenges head on to achieve better outcomes. Learn how Autodesk Forma is helping facilitate better collaboration, quicker project delivery and better outcomes.

Protecting the City of Charleston with the Low Battery Seawall and modern drainage design

The improvements to the Low Battery seawall in Charleston, SC, will protect the surrounding community from future flooding. Shelby was part of JMT’s modeling team which leveraged InfoDrainage for the stormwater drainage design portion of the project.

JMT Improves Productivity and Collaboration with Model Coordination

Through Model Coordination, JMT brings engineers working in the vertical and horizontal realms closer together on projects. As a modern civil designer, Shelby offers her perspective on how clashes are reduced, collaboration is boosted between all team members, and designs can be completed faster and more accurately.

Setting the stage to be a changemaker

As the Autodesk CIM Manager for JMT, Shelby’s goal is to keep the firm moving forward by adopting the best technologies available for our projects. At AU 2023, the buzzing topic was artificial intelligence (AI). Some worry that AI will replace people, but AI learns through people, as they are the driving force for how these technologies will evolve. It’s time to set down the pencils and paper and lean into the exciting possibilities of change.

2023 State of Design and Make: An Interpretation

Autodesk recently released its first annual research study identifying drivers of change in the design and make industries. Shelby shared what resonated with her as a civil engineering professional.

2023 State of Design and Make: An Interpretation was used to launch the Autodesk Community in China and Japan. Published in English, Chinese, and Japanese.

Upcoming Events

PANEL MODERATORAUGI CON 2025
May 1, 2025
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Free Admission

Panel Discussion Moderator:
The Reality of Digital Twins: Aspirations vs. Limitations

Shelby is on the Board of Directors for Augi Con and she will be hosting a panel that includes two JMT employees, Jamie Gant and Dakota Mohan.

MEETINGthe big room: may meetup
Hosts: Shelby L Smith, Kristina Youngblut, and Jason Peckovitch
Jumpstart your ACC Projects with the 3C’s: Communication, Collaboration, Coordination

BIWEEKLY MEETINGC4C3D autodesk user group meetup
Join Shelby for a peer-to-peer user group to meet with fellow experts in the Civil Engineering space.

View Webinars and Register Here

About Shelby L. Smith

Shelby L. Smith, an Autodesk Expert Elite and Civil 3D Certified Professional, brings over 20 years of passion and expertise in Autodesk software to her role as CIM (Civil Information Modeling) Manager at JMT. She holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Penn State University and has been with JMT for nearly a decade, spending eight years as a Site Design Engineer before transitioning into her current role within the Design Center of Excellence.

An advocate for innovation in grading design and modeling methods, Shelby serves on the Autodesk Customer Advisory Board for Infrastructure Design and recently joined the AUGI Board of Directors, where she plays a key role in shaping the organization’s future. She is honored to contribute to the Autodesk Civil 3D Certified Professional Exam as an item writer, helping to shape the certification that validates expertise across the industry.

A recognized speaker and industry leader, Shelby has presented at Autodesk University as both a speaker and co-speaker and appeared on the main stage as part of the AECO Keynote. She hosts the Autodesk C4C3D User Group as a Community Leader and is actively involved with AUGI CON, having participated as a panelist and now serving as a panel host and moderator. Her contributions to the Autodesk Community Blog, AutoCAD Community Tips, and AUGI have been meaningful milestones in her journey, opening doors to new opportunities and deepening her engagement within the industry. Above all, she believes that knowledge is meant to be shared and is passionate about uplifting others in the industry through mentorship, collaboration, and community engagement.

Connect with Shelby

Ambassador & Outreach Programs

Autodesk Expert Elite The Expert Elite program recognizes customers around the world who contribute to the Autodesk Community by sharing their product knowledge, best practices and expertise.
AUGI Advisory Board Member Connect & learn with 500,000 worldwide members Network with industry peers. Find quick answers and access helpful resources. Build your skills and advance your career. Stay up-to-date with industry trends and software updates.
Autodesk Research Community Be part of a 360° Customer Journey: Help shape the products and services you use every day. Participate in user experience research and development tailored to your expertise, to innovate your work and industry.
Autodesk Customer Advisory Board (CAB) for Infrastructure Design This invite-only, highly curated peer groups connects your company directly with the Autodesk Infrastructure development team. There will be three boards, one in the Americas (including Central and South America), EMEA, and another in the APAC region, all consistent of product experts and company leaders from a wide range of AEC firms who want to help make the tools better.Your representative will get to meet with like-minded professionals in the AEC Infrastructure Industry and share your company’s experiences with the Infrastructure team as well as provide feedback and input on our vision and roadmap for the future.
ACEC/PA PennDOT State Kit Work Group As PennDOT continues to advance their technological efforts, ACEC/PA has been working with the department to ensure that those advances not only benefit consultants, but the transportation industry as a whole. PennDOT has established an Autodesk Statekit work group, that focuses on Autodesk developments, similar to the existing Open Road Designer (ORD) work group.
AutoCAD User Group (AUG) \| LinkedIn The AutoCAD User Group (AUG) is for ALL AutoCAD users, students, and learners. As this user group evolves, it will become a place where AutoCAD learning content, tips & tricks, and advice to all AutoCAD users will be posted and shared.

Resources

Pre-Recorded Live Panel Discussion
Recording available for AUGI Members on the AUGI Mighty Networks Community
Hosted by Robert Green and panelists R.K. McSwain, Shelby L. Smith, David Butts, and Alex Lepeska. (Recording available for AUGI Members on the AUGI Mighty Networks Community AUGI Community (mn.co)