Judy Smith works as an Operations Associate at Giesting Financial. She is the implementation specialist, creating paperwork to open accounts, maintaining signings and processing the completed applications in our Batesville location. Always one to spot and recruit talent, Mark Giesting has known Judy since high school and followed her decades-long career in the insurance industry. Denise Giesting has been friends and workout buddies with Judy for more than seven years. All three worked at Forethought Financial Services in the late ‘80s, the place where Mark and Denise first met. In yet another strong connection, Giesting Financial has also been handling the Smiths’ personal financial planning for many years.

Prior to joining Giesting Financial, Judy worked for decades as a project manager for Global Atlantic. While there, she helped roll out and launch new annuity and insurance products for consumers, implementing the required changes to systems, programming, processing and staff necessary to accommodate new business. She holds an associate’s degree from Southern Ohio College and was once licensed in life insurance. For a brief period recently, Judy also worked as an office manager for Allstate Insurance. “When it comes to the financial services industry, I’ve sort of ‘been there, done that’ because I’ve been involved in so many ways,” she says.

In her free time, Judy is passionate about fitness and is a licensed personal trainer. She provides training for individuals and also leads group fitness classes in her basement workout studio under the informal taglines “Fit For You” and “BeYOUtiful.”

Judy has two sons, Trevor and Alex, who recently got married within a span of two months of each other. Pictured here Trevor and Samantha’s wedding from left to right are Judy, Samantha, Trevor, Alex and Molly.

Both of Judy’s daughters-in-law, Molly and Samantha, were expecting their first children with their due dates two weeks apart (March 31^st and April 16^th.) But Samantha and Trevor’s baby was apparently ready to appear a bit early; he was born on March 10^th and he and Samantha are in perfect health.

Judy is shown here at the hospital holding her first grandson, Garth William Smith.

Judy’s beloved husband, Glen, passed away six years ago in a car accident, and he will always hold a special place in the whole family’s hearts as they move forward into their next stage of life. Glen and Judy were married for 25 years and they loved to travel together. They had just purchased a Can-Am off-road motorcycle and camper before the accident, planning to spend many weekends camping and riding.

Glen was the life of the party, known for his fried chicken prepared in cast iron kettles. He would fry chicken for weddings, parties, reunions ad other events. His largest fry was over 1,000 chickens! Judy and Glen built a large garage to not only repair vehicles, but a place to get together for family reunions and graduation parties. The boys and their friends would often hang out there. Sundays with Glen were known as “Funday Sundays,” especially in summer when their swimming pool would be full of friends.

Judy still loves the outdoors and hiking. In fact, she spends so much time outdoors that she jokes, “My house is full of dust—you can’t move anything on the furniture because you’ll immediately see that I haven’t dusted.” In addition to doing all the mowing herself, she loves to garden and grows both edible vegetables and ornamental flowers in raised beds, shown here in winter before planting.

Judy lives on property which has been in her family for five generations. In fact, Judy grew up close by, and her entire family lives within a 15-mile radius of the Batesville area, including her two sisters. Judy’s son, Alex, has built a new home on four acres of the family land. Trevor currently lives in Judy’s home on a two-acre parcel which she plans to gift to him and his wife, Samantha.

In addition to becoming a grandmother, working at her new job at Giesting Financial, gardening, taking care of the immense lawns and running her personal training and fitness classes, Judy is in the process of building her own new home and workout facility on two acres of the family property. It’s an exciting endeavor and a fulfilling time of life, and Judy looks forward to seeing her grandchildren every day as they grow up close by.