Prestige Partners, LLC - Founder

"If I ever returned to the world of business, Debbie would be one of the first people I would try to hire."
- - - - - Quote from a former boss and retired CEO of a Fortune 200 company

"Debbie Smith is in every way a self-made, independent, outgoing, street savy, extraordinarily charming and very successful person....if she's on your team you're set!"
- - - - - Quote from a former boss and president of a software company

Deborah J. Smith is Founder and President of Prestige Partners, LLC.

Debbie is a native Floridian raised in Polk County, Florida. Her father, Billy, was a lifelong Florida cattleman and ranch foreman. Her early childhood years were surrounded with the responsibilities, pleasures and values of living on a ranch.

One of Debbie's first for profit jobs involved creosoting fence posts for a fellow rancher. Her first job in the business world was as a bank teller. In 1981 Debbie's career took a major turn when she accepted a position with a Fortune 200 company that operated a major chemical complex in Central Florida and which had significant business interests around the globe.

Debbie worked initially as a clerk typist in the accounting department and moved quickly into a technical secretary position reporting to the Manager of Engineering. In this position she supported the Land and Mine Manager, Manager of Environmental and Safety Services, as well as the Process, Production and Project Engineering staff.

Debbie then was promoted to the position of Executive Secretary to the Vice President of Operations where she was exposed to the inner workings of the the corporate world including both owners and the board of directors. Debbie continued in that position for eight years before leaving to start her own business.

One of Debbie's bosses, Bob Honse, went on to be the President and Chief Excecutive Officer of the company. The company at that point had over 6,000 employees, 9 billion dollars in annual sales, and maintained offices in 86 countries around the globe. Bob is now retired, but to this day he continues to correspond with Debbie on a weekly basis. See the section below with remarks from Robert Honse.

Debbie speaks about Debbie

"Who I am today, my values, my personality and my outlook on life, has everything to do with my family, how I was raised, and the example my parents set for all of us as children. Nothing means more to me than my parents and my brother and sisters."

"I was raised on a ranch. Ranch life is always hard, but in those days they seemed especially hard. Although there was always much to do, work was never without the satisfaction of accomplishment. Because of my father's hard work, dedication and love of the ranch, we never went without the things we needed. Somehow, out of all of this, I learned a great deal. It instilled in me a deep and lasting appreciation for the value of self discipline, responsibility, committment, teamwork and the satisfaction of taking pride in what you do."

"On the other hand, who I am today as a business person, my understanding of how business works, the incredible influence of technology, the extreme importance of people in business, the diverse requirements and pressures placed on managers, executives and companies today...all these things I have learned from the people and organizations I worked for. In this regard I have been extremely fortunate."

"I always loved work from my earliest days as a bank teller to my later years as an executive secretary. Each of us spends a majority of our waking hours at our jobs. Work needs to be something you enjoy. Although never part of a master plan, my career and work life turned out really well. Certainly luck plays a part in everything, but I think if you enjoy what you are doing and you are committed to it, you will naturally be good at it. "

"Being in business for myself, having the ability to define the values and objectives of the business, the ability to work with multiple clients and entities, the ability to become involved not only in the professional lives of my clients but also their personal goals and aspirations ..... these things along with many others have taken my satisfaction and fascination with work to the next level. "

"You come to a place in life where you are ....who you want to be. I believe I am there and I am enjoying every minute of it!"

"I 've had a truly incredible career and without exception, everyone I've ever worked for remains an active friend, mentor and professional associate. That is a priceless and enduring reward!"

Hear What Some Former Bosses Have To Say About Debbie

Robert W. Honse - Retired President and CEO of a Fortune 200 Company

"I have known Debbie for about 18 years and worked closely with her for several of those years. Her creativity, resourcefulness, organizational skills and ability to get things done made her a very valuable and much sought after associate."

" During the time she worked directly for me, she used all of these skills in addition to being very confidential on handling critical matters of the company. She has always demonstrated the highest character and integrity. During part of the period we worked together, I traveled extensively as part of my job. I had the greatest confidence and comfort that as I traveled Debbie would keep me informed and track me down if something critical came up. "

"I always enjoyed working with Debbie. She is very pleasant to be around and makes everyone feel at ease. I have been retired for about two years and we have maintained a correspondence during that time. If I ever returned to the world of business, Debbie would be one of the first people I would try to hire."

Edward H. Ferking, Jr. - President and CEO, True North USA, LLC - Former Manager Of Engineering

"I first met and worked with Debbie in the early to middle portion of her career. At that time we both worked for a major corporation operating a huge chemical complex located in Central Florida."

"The department I managed had very high visibility in the day to day workings of the plant. I myself was very young to be in a position with this kind of responsibilty. Debbie was the technical secretary for my department. She worked directly for me but supported all of us. "

"It was a landmark day in my career when she arrived. I didn't have the slightest idea at the time, but I see it clearly today. She arrived small in stature but perceptively fiesty from the get go. I dare to say she had me sized up in less than 60 seconds and probably that inital evaluation still stands today with allowance for factoring in another 20 years of my development, some of it under her tutelage."

"Debbie has an exceptional ability to size people and situations up in a heartbeat. It's one of the great reasons for her success. She saw immediately that I was totally disorganized, in over my head, lacked any perceptible people skills, was basically competent, creative, not without significant merit and that I was totally committed to doing the best job I could do."

"From that instant on, she did everything in her power to use her strengths to attenuate my shortcomings in a totally transparent and empowering way and leave me to do what I did best. She did the same with everyone else who worked with me. From day one, she was on the team and it would never occur to her to be otherwise. "

"Debbie's success is also not unrelated to her remarkable ability to instantly filter out all those confusing and menacing details that have ultimately nothing to do with the problem at hand. ... principally all those things that stifle, confuse, and frustrate many of us when trying to come up with a clear plan of action. "

"She has no clue of the arduous process the rest of us are bogged down with. To her, what she does is always straight forward and simple. Her vision and purpose are always clear. Her decision making is crisp, accurate and insightful. She sticks to her game plan, veers seldomly and things always turn up roses."

"Debbie focused on the important things in her sphere of influence and left the rest up to the guys who made the big bucks. She walks that line extremely well. Even so, she stays extremely well informed and up to date on a breadth of business issues. If asked, she will always give you her honest opinion. Trust me, when I say you would be a fool not to consult her, because some of her responses are dazzling."

"Her tenure was everything I needed and much more than I would have ever known to ask for. Work was fun and Debbie was constantly creating ions to keep the air electric. She truly enjoyed her work, and she fully comprehended the importance of her contributions. This was her major motivator. Her outlook on life was and is always 100% positive. She is a constant source of sunshine and warmth on any cloudy day."

"Unfortunately, her talents did not go unnoticed. Increasingly, she was pulled out of my department to cover for the Executive Secretary to the Vice President of Operations. His executive secretary and administrative assistant was a very refined and highly respected lady who set a very high standard, and a great example for Debbie. They became great collaborators, and to this day remain close friends. When she retired, Debbie stepped into her job."

"It was both a sad and happy day for me. Debbie continued to do small things for me over the following years to assure me that I was not just a former boss but also a trusted friend and associate. It meant an awful lot to me. It is just another indication of the kind of person she is and her enduring sense of committment to the people she has worked with. "

"Life has many interesting twists and turns. As it turns out, now many years later, we are working together again. Debbie's company, Prestige Partners, LLC handles 100% of the office management and executive support services requirements of my company. They are one of the true bright spots in the day to day operations of the business. Debbie has taken things to the next level. Expectedly, she crafted a powerful, timely and clear vision for her company and she manages it extremely well. I feel so fortunate and rewarded that true north usa llc, is playing a small part in this continuing and remarkable success story."

"The Debbie Smith I know today is in every way a selfmade, independent, outgoing, street savy, extraordinarily charming and very successful person....if she's on your team you're set!"

C. M. Farris- Retired Vice President of Operations

"Debbie has a varied and significant experience in top level, industrial office management. She is uniquely qualified to provide assistance in streamlining existing office systems or establishing new systems to function smoothly and productively."

"Her knowledge and experience are in both technical and managerial areas; application of this experience can accelerate achievement of high levels of efficiency."