Henry County local, Debbie Kinsland, has achieved 15 years of service with L.I. Smith & Associates (LIS). This milestone solidifies both the work ethic and dedication displayed by Kinsland throughout her time with the company.  

“Director of Human Resources is one of the most critical roles for a company to fill. It can be a thankless position for some.  However, Debbie is a person that can see rainbows where others see waste. We are so thankful for Debbie and all of her hard work over these 15 years,” LIS President Patrick Smith stated.  

Hired by Lucile Smith in 2008, she has worked alongside three generations of the Smith family. Kinsland began her career with LIS as a Payroll Clerk. As LIS grew over the years, her role within the company grew alongside it. While working as Payroll Clerk, she helped to build LIS’ Human Resource Department, creating new policies and procedures as needed.  

“Working in human resources (HR) has given me the chance to create meaningful and lasting relationships,” said Kinsland. “I extremely enjoy working with our employees and having the opportunity to help them is very fulfilling for me.” 

Kinsland was promoted to her current role as Human Resource Officer in 2022. As Human Resource Officer, Kinsland is responsible for onboarding new hires, maintaining employee files, processing payroll, and offboarding staff members, among other responsibilities. She also played a key role in the development of the company’s newly improved onboarding process and benefits package.  

“I have enjoyed my time with LIS so far. We have a talented, young workforce, and I look forward to future opportunities to continue growing alongside them.” commented Kinsland. 

Kinsland is no stranger to small businesses. She is co-owner of K & K Paving Company, along with her husband Tom.  K & K Paving, located in Paris, Tenn., has been in business for 30 years and specializes in asphalt paving, curbing, sealing, and striping. 

L.I. Smith & Associates (LIS) is proud to announce the promotion of Tommy Young to the position of Vice President of Surveying, effective May 1. Young is an experienced leader in the surveying industry with more than 25 years of experience, 21 of which have been spent with LIS.  

Throughout his lengthy and impressive career, Young has played a key role in land survey projects throughout the Central and Southeast regions of the United States. From this diverse experience, he has developed an immensely broad awareness of industry standards, which makes him an invaluable asset. Currently, Young holds surveying licenses in 10 states including Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Tennessee. 

Young commented, “I am thankful to the company for this promotion, and I am thankful to have a great team working with me that is more than capable of handling some of my current responsibilities.  This promotion certainly wouldn’t be possible without them.” 

The role of Vice President of Surveying will provide an opportunity for Young to spread his extensive knowledge across a vast array of projects. Separation from the day-to-day project management duties will grant him the mobility to travel as needed, while also allowing him to implement his technical skills and knowledge across multiple office locations. This distribution of knowledge and technical skill will be essential to further advancing both the survey department and the company as a whole.  

“This is long overdue,” remarked LIS President Patrick Smith. “Tommy is a tremendous asset and is the very foundation that LIS’ survey department is built upon. I’m confident that he will excel in this new role, and the company will be more successful because of it.” 

Young has a proven track record of industry expertise and high-quality work. In the past, he has overseen and played a key role in various projects for the State of Tennessee, United States Army Corps of Engineers, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, the former Fort McClellan, urgent care clinics, and pharmacies in multiple states 

He holds a bachelor’s degree in survey and mapping from East Tennessee State University and a second bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Tennessee Technological University.   

L.I. Smith & Associates (LIS) is proud to announce the promotion of Ashley Horn to Vice President of Marketing and Communications, effective May 1. Previously Marketing Coordinator, Horn, has been with LIS for just over two years. During this time, she has been integral to the expansion of LIS’ marketing and recruitment efforts, as well as an immense growth in company culture. 

LIS President Patrick Smith remarked, “Ashley has been incredibly successful in her time here. We have seen great incomes in outreach and our internship programs, largely due to the increase in corporate communications. She has my full trust as she continues to build the marketing department and enhance our brand and company culture.” 

As Vice President, Horn has been tasked with the continuous responsibility of building LIS’ vision and voice, while protecting and growing the company’s brand and reputation. In addition, she will continue to manage all internal staff communications and engagement, public relations, business development, and recruitment initiatives.  

“I am thrilled to take on this new role and to continue telling LIS’ story,” said Horn. “This is truly an exciting time for the company, as we have a talented group of diverse staff members and are continuing to grow across the board. I look forward to this new chapter.” 

The experienced marketer has a diverse background in communications, with an emphasis in higher education and nonprofit fields, which assisted her greatly as she laid the foundation for LIS’ internship program. The program launched in 2022 and provides a hands-on learning opportunity for students studying within the civil engineering, surveying, communications, or marketing fields. In its first year, two collegiate summer interns and one high school intern were hired. Now, in its second year, the program has doubled in size.  

Marketing and Communications Intern Martha Jane Hooper stated, “Ashley has made a big impact on not only the marketing department, but LIS as well. Through her guidance, I have been able to learn so much about the marketing industry and I am beyond excited to see what else she will accomplish in this role.” 

Hooper, along with fellow Intern Katie Bullion, now work directly with Horn in the marketing department. Prior to their onboarding, Horn was the only staff member in the field, managing all marketing tasks on her own. Thanks to the success of the internship program, what began as a department of one has now grown into a successful and fully independent marketing department. 

“MJ and Katie have been detrimental to our department’s growth, and I am very proud of them. Mentoring those two has truly been a rewarding experience thus far, and I know they will continue to have a positive impact at LIS,” Horn commented.  

Horn is currently a doctoral student at Regent University and holds a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Communication from the University of Tennessee at Martin. She is a member of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), serves as a board member for the American Advertising Federation (AAF), a volunteer for the Paris-Henry County Arts Council (PHCAC), and is a graduate of Leadership Henry County (LHC).