Instructor: Deborah E. Smith

Deborah Smith is a Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) through the American Society for Quality (ASQ) and currently serves as the Quality Manager for Omega Research, Inc. Prior to her current position, she accumulated nearly two decades of experience as a forensic professional in various capacities. She was a Certified Technical Assessor for the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) for many years and is an International Association for Identification (IAI) Certified Latent Print Examiner. Deborah is also a contracted instructor for TriTech Forensics Training, where she teaches professional-level courses on essential quality practices.

Deborah graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Master of Science in Forensic Science with an emphasis in Forensic Science Administration from Oklahoma State University. Prior to that she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Government and an emphasis in Legal Studies, as well as a minor in Criminal Justice from Texas Woman’s University.

Throughout her career, Deborah has presented and lectured on quality management and forensic science topics at various academic institutions and professional conferences. She has also actively involved in training initiatives at police academies, such as the Fort Worth Police Academy and Tarrant County College Police Academy, and served on the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) for the Criminal Justice Program at Remington College.

A strong advocate for quality management and assurance, Deborah seizes every opportunity to share knowledge and promote best practices in the field. Her professional interests focus on improving quality management systems, leveraging Lean Six Sigma techniques to foster a culture of quality, and advancing the science of fingerprints. While she has experience in crime scene processing and reconstruction, her primary passion lies in enhancing quality systems to support excellence and reliability in forensic and laboratory operations.