She Put The “Community” in Community College
The McDowell Technical Community College family is mourning the passing of a dear friend and former colleague, Sharon Smith, who passed away Monday night at Grace Hospital in Morganton. She was 74 years of age.
Sharon is the longest serving employee in the college’s history, with 45 years of dedicated service as the college’s librarian. In recognition of her long and dedicated service, college administrators dedicated the college’s newly renovated library space to Smith in August of 2021, renaming the library as the Smith Academic Resource Center in her honor.
“We are saddened to learn of Sharon’s passing,” said Dr. Brian S. Merritt, MTCC President. “When I arrived just over two years ago, I heard about Sharon’s legacy of service to McDowell Tech and to our community, and we appreciate our Trustees approving our library to be named in Sharon’s honor. She was a true public servant and will be remembered for much more than being the person who managed library services at the college. Those who knew her best know that it is for her acts of community service that she will be remembered most.”
Smith was not only the “face” of McDowell Tech’s library, she was the most consistent and persistent “face” of the college in the community.
In fact, it has been said that Smith put the “community” in “community college” at McDowell Tech for 45 years. She helped fulfill the college’s mission of service and engagement in the community like no other. Her resume’ reads like a how-to-manual for good customer service:
- Hospice of McDowell County- Board of Directors (5 years), Vice-President (4 years) and Fundraising Committee (8+ years).
- McDowell Arts and Crafts Association- Board of Directors (9 years), President (3 years), Vice-President (5 years), Secretary (1 year), and Volunteer with Appalachian Potters Market and other events (multiple years).
- Foothills Community Theatre- Board of Directors (3 years), Publicity Chair, Actor, Director and Volunteer (multiple years).
- Project Christmas- Volunteer (multiple years).
- McDowell Chamber of Commerce- Board of Directors (3 years), Chair of several committees.
- United Way of McDowell County- Board of Directors (7 years), President (2 years), Special Gifts Chair (3 years) and Volunteer (multiple).
- Mountain Glory Festival- Board (6 years), Chair (6 years) and volunteer (multiple years).
- McDowell County Public Library Trustee- Board (6 years), President (2 years), and Vice-President (2 years).
- Friends of McDowell County Library- Treasure (2 years), member and volunteer (multiple years).
- McDowell County Dread Disease- Treasurer and Board Member (more than 25 years).
- Delta Kappa Gamma (a professional organization for women educators)- Treasurer (almost 10 years).
- McDowell Women’s Club- (over 40 years, including several as Treasurer, President and Secretary), numerous committees, multiple district and state level leadership positions and committees.
This short list of her community involvement doesn’t even begin to touch on her participation in volunteer and leadership positions at First United Methodist, and her service in United Methodist Women at multiple levels. Internally, at McDowell Tech, Smith served in leadership positions on at least 5 committees and was, for several years, Vice-President of the non-profit McDowell Technical Community College Foundation Board.
In fact, Smith’s engagement and service to the community has earned her multiple awards and honors over the years, from the Pilot Club’s Professional Woman of the Year (1985), McDowell Chamber of Commerce’s first Volunteer of the Year (1986), McDowell County Community Leadership Award (1983 and 1995), NC Federation of Women’s Clubs Awards (1987, 1995 and 1998), and Asheville Citizen Times’ Citizen of the Year, Southeast Regional Finalist (1993).
“Ironically, when the Smith Academic Resource Center was being planned, the planning committee envisioned the new space as a unifying element in the campus plan—a community center, if you will—a place where people could both access and share information, a place where people could meet, interact and study,” said Merritt. “We are proud that Sharon’s legacy of service to the community is forever memorialized in such a fitting space. On behalf of the McDowell Tech family, we send our deepest condolences to Sharon’s family and to friends who knew her well. Farewell, dear friend.”
