Joanne D. Smith

Coming Up

Board-level governance in the sommelier trade often draws on more than beverage-specific experience; it also values people systems, service standards, and the ability to hold a brand promise under pressure. At Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, Joanne D. Smith brings more than 30 years in the travel industry to that table, with a career shaped by hospitality, Customer Service, and organizational leadership. Before that board role, she served as Vice President of Marketing and Customer Service for Song at Delta Air Lines, work that sat at the intersection of presentation, consistency, and the traveler’s experience. Her path at Delta Air Lines shows a steady expansion of responsibility. Beginning after her studies at California Polytechnic State University, Joanne D. Smith moved through senior roles that included Vice President – Marketing and Customer Service for Song, Vice President – Marketing, and Senior Vice President – In-Flight Service. Each step widened her scope, from shaping how the company communicated itself to overseeing the service details that define what customers actually experience. That progression continued when she became Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Delta Air Lines (until 2025), adding organizational leadership to a career already grounded in service culture. In 2025–2027, she joined the board of directors as a member at Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, bringing an executive’s view of standards, scale, and accountability into a profession built on training and evaluation.

Where They Are Now

Today, she serves on the Board of Directors of Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas for the 2025–2027 term. For an institution that depends on rigor, mentorship, and clear standards, Joanne D. Smith’s background in hospitality-led organizations brings a practical perspective on how systems work when people are the product as much as the process. On taking up the role, she said, "I am excited to join the CMS-A Board of Directors and look forward to contributing to the growth and evolution of the sommelier profession." She added, "As I transition from my role at Delta, I am eager to bring my experience in fostering hospitality and building an inclusive culture to this esteemed organization." Read plainly, those remarks point to a career built around service discipline: hospitality as method, inclusion as operating principle, and leadership as a daily practice rather than a slogan.

In Their Words “As I transition from my role at Delta, I am eager to bring my experience in fostering hospitality and building an inclusive culture to this esteemed organization.” “I am excited to join the CMS-A Board of Directors and look forward to contributing to the growth and evolution of the sommelier profession.” Those lines are concise, but they signal the terms by which she approaches the trade: contribute, foster, build. The language is direct and operational, matching a career spent in environments where service, culture, and consistency have to hold together.

Honors

Joanne's honors include 25 Power Women to Watch in Atlanta, Advertising Age's Top 10 Women to Watch, Wall Street Journal’s Top Women to Watch, Honored Alumni of the Orfalea College of Business, Gold Spotlight Award for distinguished alumni, and AWNY Changing the Game Award. These recognitions track a career that has been noticed across industries and institutions, with attention paid not just to advancement but to the reach of her leadership. At Court of Master Sommeliers, Americas, that history arrives as evidence of sustained responsibility and peer recognition.