Alana Smith

COO

Chief Operating Officer Alana Smith is responsible for ensuring that Erin delivers on its mission to develop and build quality, sustainable projects in New York and New Jersey. Her strategic approach focuses on creative solutions to transform challenges into opportunities in light of a continually changing housing policy environment. She is responsible for business development as well as internal operations and represents the firm before public agencies, elected officials, community groups, and financial institutions. With experience structuring, planning and developing thousands of income-aligned homes, Alana also spearheaded Erin’s recent capacity expansion to include owner’s representation, Green Communities pre and post build certification services and the creation of ambitious real estate development projects. Prior to joining Erin, Alana worked in senior management roles at Community Preservation Corporation and Enterprise Community Partners where, in both capacities, her roles served as a subject matter expert in policy, real estate finance, and development to a portfolio of community-based affordable housing organizations. Work in these areas has lent well to her ability to maintain a long fuse and optimist’s outlook in current endeavors.

Alana received her Master’s degree in Urban Policy from The New School and PhD from Trinity College Dublin. Her research was funded by academic scholarship and bursary sponsored by The Housing Agency (Ireland). Her work has been published in peer reviewed academic journals and she has presented as a guest lecturer at research universities across Europe.

A lifelong fitness enthusiast, her greatest joy is keeping up with her children, Cillian and Sunniva and chatting with her husband about politics, music and travel at their home in Spuyten Duyvil.