Leading With Integrity, Accountability, and Access: Nakia Smith, Chief Compliance Officer

Black History Month, for Central Health Chief Compliance Officer Nakia Smith, is less about a single moment and more about responsibility. It is a time to reflect on leadership, accountability, and the impact of the work done every day.

“To me, Black History Month is celebrated all year,” Smith says. “But I think really it’s a time for us all to reflect, and personally for me to also look at my accountability as a leader.”

As chief compliance officer—and one of the Central Health system’s few Black female executives—Smith brings a leadership approach shaped by experience, consistency, and a clear understanding of the communities Central Health serves. Over the course of her career in health care, she has learned how credibility and trust are built in systems where representation at the executive level is limited.

“When representation is limited, credibility becomes even more important,” Smith says. “Consistency, transparency, and results are how trust is built—both inside the organization and with the communities we serve.”

Smith describes herself as both mission-driven and outcome-focused, a balance she sees as essential to building trust in a public health care system.

Health care is a legally tricky business, and being compliant with the myriad of laws and regulations requires a high level of skill and vast knowledge. But Smith views compliance as more than policies or oversight. For her, it is a core safeguard that supports ethical decision-making, equity, and access—all mission critical for a system designed to prevent crises rather than respond to them after the fact.

“Integrity has to be built into how we work, with safeguards that ensure we’re doing the right thing—even when no one is watching,” she says. “That’s always been like a core mission for my compliance leadership.”

She emphasizes that trust, both within the organization and with the community, is built through consistent behavior.

“Just being consistent, respectful, lawful, and fair—those all align with being an ethical system. Because I feel like trust isn’t really built through documents and policies, but is on our behavior and how the positive outcomes we achieve from our behavior are repeatable,” Smith explained.

Smith’s leadership is also deeply influenced by her long-standing commitment to community service, particularly advocacy for older adults. She credits her close relationship with her grandparents as an influence in her life and career. Those early experiences not only shaped her leadership style, but also fueled a commitment to health care equity, advocacy for older adults, and service within mission-driven organizations.

“I grew up with elderly grandparents who kind of shaped and influenced who I am,” she says. “So I spent a vast amount of my time when I was a kid hanging with my grandparents.”

That experience led her to focus much of her community work on aging populations, including Medicare advocacy and service for area agencies on aging in both Georgia and Texas.

“It’s really hard to maneuver the system when you age into Medicare,” Smith says. “If you don’t have an advocate or someone to help you understand health care, it’s really hard to maneuver.”

At Central Health, Smith brings that same awareness into executive decision-making, particularly as the organization works to expand access and reduce barriers to care.

“When I’m making decisions, I don’t just consider operational impact,” she says. “I also look at the community impact. How do we impact the community that we serve?”

She believes representation is important, especially in an organization created to serve people who often face systemic barriers to care.

“Representation at the executive level matters—especially in health care,” Smith says. “When leaders reflect the communities they serve and lead with transparency and consistency, it builds trust and leads to better outcomes for the people who rely on us most.”

Smith also sees leadership as a responsibility to develop others. She regularly mentors emerging Black professionals and encourages them to invest in themselves, seek guidance, and protect their integrity.

“Titles come and go,” she says. “But reputation and integrity will follow you everywhere you go.”

She encourages future leaders to show up prepared and confident without losing themselves along the way.

“Make sure that your presence is known,” Smith says. “Don’t shrink your voice. Make sure that your perspective is heard.”

At Central Health, Nakia Smith’s leadership reflects a commitment to integrity, accountability, and trust. These values are essential to supporting and expanding access to care, protecting public resources, and ensuring the system works as intended for the community it serves.