The National Notary Association (NNA) is thrilled to announce Mike Smith, Communications & Compliance Director of the Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority (GSCCCA), as the recipient of the prestigious 2025 March Fong Eu Achievement Award.
Smith’s exceptional leadership as a Georgia Notary official and dedication to fostering collaboration within the Notary community as president of the Notary Public Administrators (NPA) Section of the National Association of Secretaries of State has earned him this esteemed honor.
First established in 1979 and presented each year by the National Notary Association (NNA), the March Fong Eu Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to advancing the standards, image, and effectiveness of the Notary Public office across the United States.
Working for Georgia Notaries
As part of Georgia’s Notary regulating agency, Smith has played a pivotal role in supporting the work of Notaries Public in his state. He has consistently worked to improve training for Georgia Notaries, including a new mandatory education course for new applicants that took effect in January 2025.
“Most citizens — including many new Notaries just starting out — are not familiar with the Notary process,” Smith said. “It’s very important to know the proper way to identify signers, how to follow procedure and learn to properly notarize. I always tell Notaries not to overthink their work and always stick to the basics — but you absolutely must know the basics.”
‘Fraud prevention is the most important role Notaries play’
Prior to beginning his long career as a state Notary official, Smith worked in journalism and radio. A good friend suggested he join GSCCCA in 1997 as the agency was expanding and adding new staff. Smith says he’s very grateful to his friend for suggesting it, because he found working with Notaries very rewarding and surprisingly similar to his previous journalism career.
“In journalism, you have to stick to the truth and follow it. State law is the truth for Notaries, and it’s very important to follow it. That’s what we try to impress upon Notaries in Georgia,” Smith said.
One of the driving forces behind Georgia’s new mandatory Notary education law was an alarming increase in real estate fraud in 2024. “Fraud prevention is the most important role Notaries perform today,” Smith said. “They are out there on the front lines doing it, especially in the real estate field, and that’s what we tell them in our classes. A Notary is not just looking at an ID and recording information in a journal. They have to confirm the person across from them is who they say they are.”
Collaboration with other Notary officials
Smith has also worked closely with Notary officials from other states, leading the Notary Public Administrators (NPA) section of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) since 2008. Under his direction, the Section has become a vital platform for both public and private sector stakeholders to address critical issues impacting the Notary community.
"(Smith’s) vision and ability to bring people together and foster collaboration have created an essential platform for NPAs and private sector stakeholders to discuss key issues affecting the Notary community," said NNA Vice President of Government Affairs Bill Anderson.
North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, the 2006 March Fong Eu award recipient, has worked closely with Smith on Notary matters through the NPA section and NASS and highly praised Smith’s efforts to support Notaries and Notary officials.
“Under his leadership, this organization has grown in size and kept Notary leaders informed on trends, concerns and best practices. Mike never loses sight of what’s important — helping Notaries help people,” she said.
Smith said that one of the biggest challenges facing Notaries and state officials today is the impact of online technology and artificial intelligence on notarization.
“Most states now allow remote notarial acts, but these acts put even more responsibility on Notaries to verify a signer’s identity,” he said. “Where is technology going? For example, AI is becoming more prevalent and we Notary officials are not only asking how we can use it to make our offices more efficient, but also how it will affect fraud targeting Notaries?”
The NNA congratulates Mike Smith on this well-deserved recognition and thanks him for his unwavering commitment to advancing the Notary profession.
David Thun is the Editorial Manager at the National Notary Association.