By Sarah Mitchell
When Emily first got the call from her company in Raleigh, NC, offering her a position in Dallas, she had no idea just how much her life was about to change. “They asked if I wanted to move, and 19 days later, I was in Dallas,” she said. That was back in 2012, and what started as a quick decision has led to a full life in the Park Cities.
Emily is originally from North Carolina and attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh. She had never been to Dallas and only knew one friend that she’d grown up with in North Carolina that now lived in Dallas – whom she quickly called. “She and her husband offered me their spare bedroom until I found a place to live, becoming the first of many families in the Park Cities that folded me into their lives and their community. From making their backhouses available to me to including me in Holidays, this has been the most generous and kind neighborhood, especially when I first moved here with no family,” Emily shared.
After the move, she continued in Software Sales and worked for Securus Technologies, selling software into prison systems and later shifted to Property Management Software when she joined AppFolio. While her family remained in North Carolina, she found community in Dallas. A couple of years ago, she met her now-husband Preston, a commercial lender at Texas Security Bank. Preston’s own story had taken him from Southern Louisiana to Texas after Hurricane Katrina. His family relocated to Celina Salina, where he finished high school before attending the University of North Texas. He loves to play golf and spends most of his time supporting the Touchdown Club of Dallas.
Together, Emily and Preston are raising two young kids – their 3-year-old daughter and 1-year-old son. Emily’s journey into motherhood started before she met Preston. As a single woman, she felt called to become a foster parent and had the privilege of parenting two newborn baby girls, and when Emily and Preston met, she had a 6-month-old baby in her home. Emily adopted her daughter while they were dating, and they quickly got married and Preston adopted her too!
Earlier this year, Emily decided to take a step back from corporate life and stay home with the kids. In 2024, she launched Etiquette by Emily, a business focused on teaching manners, kindness, and etiquette to children in the Park Cities. “My mom was a schoolteacher, and I’ve always had a heart for kids, education, and social politeness,” she said. “Preston and I always wanted to own a business, and this business has been such an obvious fit and blessing to our entire family.”
Emily purchased the curriculum from Amy Ranier in Mountainbrook, Alabama, who developed the etiquette program over 28 years of teaching in her community. Now, she teaches kids how to introduce themselves, table manners, how to interact respectfully with adults, classmates, and teachers, and how to be helpful at home, and several other social topics. She’s also been invited to speak to parenting groups at several local churches.
The Smith’s children attend the Ashford RISE School of Dallas, a place that’s played a significant role in their family’s story. “The brilliant therapists and administration at The Rise School have taught us so much about social, emotional, and cognitive development and given us all the tools we need to support the education of both of our children that come from different backgrounds,” Emily explained. “They are both thriving and we feel empowered in our abilities in these early formative years because of the tools that their school has made available to us.”
Preston supports the school in his own unique way through his membership in The Touchdown Club of Dallas. This organization is composed of men that fundraise a significant amount of funds each year to support The Ashford Rise School of Dallas. They host events around Dallas in the Fall and Spring, inviting everyone to attend and learn about the amazing things that The Rise School through a group called the Touchdown Club, a men’s fundraising organization that supports RISE. “It’s like a fraternity,” Emily said. “They only let in 18 new members each year, and last year, Preston’s group raised over $2 million. It’s amazing how quickly and effectively they fundraise.”
The family recently took a trip to Kanakuk’s Family Kamp in Branson, Missouri, where Preston checked off a bucket list dream by golfing at Payne’s Valley Golf Course. They also caught a performance of David at The Sights and Sounds Theater, which Emily described as “an absolutely incredible performance that made the Bible come alive in new ways.” Trips to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to see Emily’s parents are also a regular part of their lives, and they look forward to spending the holidays on the East Coast. When they aren’t on their beloved flight from Love Field to Raleigh, they will splurge, like they did in 2023 on a special trip to Paris. “Preston could’ve stayed in the Louvre all day,” Emily said. “He loves history, and the museums were definitely a highlight – aside from the food, of course!” Their next stop? New York City, where they plan to visit Ellis Island and the 9/11 Memorial.
Outside of her etiquette business and parenting, Emily continues to dedicate time to the foster care community. “I volunteer with some post-adoption advocates and speak on panels through Watermark Church,” she said. “Before I became a foster parent myself, I was a CASA volunteer. It’s something I really care about.” We always want to have an open home that welcomes not only foster children, but our friends, neighbors, and family. Our dinner table fills up every Monday night with friends that we share dinner with week after week, and that is definitely a habit of our household that we want to continue for decades to come!
When they’re home, the family enjoys simple pleasures around town—weekly visits to the Saint Michael’s farmers market, coffee runs to LDU, Germany Park regulars, and dinner at their favorite restaurant, Bobbies Airway Grill. “In addition to The Touchdown Club of Dallas, we also love supporting the UP Library, One Hundred Shares, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League,” Emily added. “It’s just a special community to be part of.”
From a spare bedroom in Highland Park to a growing family and a business of her own, Emily’s life in the Park Cities has been filled with growth and purpose. “This neighborhood welcomed me when it was just me,” she said. “And now, it’s home for not just me, but my whole family.”