Two associates, more than 480 miles apart, in completely different roles—were chasing the same goal. After years of hard work and leadership, partner Brittney Merritt and cultural icon Katie Smith earned promotions, marking new chapters in their careers.
Brittney, now a regional senior lead tech, will oversee the Raleigh market and ensure our properties maintain the highest levels of service and performance. Katie’s new role as an area trainer means she will handle new hire sales and manager training for our three markets in Ohio.
These two leaders didn’t just earn their promotions; they forged their own paths to success. With grit, extreme ownership, and a commitment to uplifting other associates along the way, Katie and Brittney both exemplify what it means to be relentless.
Brittney’s journey began in 2014 as a turn tech. Most recently, she’s been part of two property sales—West Village in Raleigh and Dublin Park in Columbus. Partner and senior general manager Kia Fenty Ngo has seen Brittney lead by example since day one.
“She took ownership from the beginning,” Kia recalls. “She really came into her own at West Village, that’s when I started to see her develop others and she became the go-to for Raleigh.”
Brittney is known for her commitment to fundamentals and her ability to inspire and elevate those around her. In her new role as regional senior lead tech, she will go from managing work orders at Bradford, to working side-by-side with techs at all four of our Raleigh properties.
“I’m very happy,” Brittney said. “I have been working on my development with trainers Rob Murray and Ashley Smith for the past year and a half so for it to finally happen, I am very excited.”
Brittney has been performing at an 8.25 or higher over the last year. She’s also been driving excellence by reinforcing our standards, taking new techs under her wing and showing exactly what it means to live our core values.
“Hard work pays off when you are doing the right thing and focusing on people count,” Brittney said. “Keep our core values and our standards at the forefront, and the opportunities are endless.”
Like Brittney, Katie knows a thing or two about grit and what it takes to lead by example.
For the last nine months, Katie’s been performing at an 8.25, while overseeing two properties in Cincinnati and teaching classes at CSO. While the stats are impressive, her natural ability to inspire others and how she mastered our systems helped her earn a spot in the Training Department.
“When I see associates I’ve mentored grow and exceed their goals,” Katie added, “That is truly where I get the most joy in what we do. I’m very humbled and excited for this new opportunity.”
Senior sales executive Jasmine McLaurine is one of the associates Katie mentors, working together most recently at The Approach at Summit Park in Cincinnati.
“What sticks out most is her ‘Can do Katie’ mentality,” Jasmine said. “I don’t care if it’s the last day of the month and we need one more transaction or five more. Katie’s perseverance, leadership and ability to lead from the front is what paved the way for her growth.”
During Katie’s first year and a half with The Connor Group, she quickly made an impact by leading her teams to exceptional results. In 2021, she was part of the sale of Falls at Settlers Walk in Dayton and a supplemental and a refinance at Hunters Chase.
Although Katie will now support Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus, she starts her new role by focusing on the Columbus market.
“I’m very excited to work with the associates there and truly make an impact culturally and execute our systems at an elite level,” Katie adds.
Through the hard work and the impact they’ve made on countless associates, Katie and Brittney are proof that true leadership isn’t just about results; it’s about inspiring and lifting others along the way.
Congratulations to Katie and Brittney!