The Craven Community College Foundation is honoring business attorney Troy Smith, Jr. for his work in the New Bern community.
He was named a 2018 Community Fabric Award winner for his individual leadership. The New Bern Sun Journal spoke to Smith about his efforts to improve the lives of others.
From the article:
When Troy Smith arrived in New Bern in 1967, he was welcomed into a community more than willing to lend a helping hand to a young, aspiring lawyer. Since that time, he has worked quietly, often behind the scenes, to extend that same opportunity to others.
“The good stuff doesn’t just happen without somebody being involved. What I’m doing is no different than what people did before me and I trust people who come along after me will be doing,” said Smith, relaxing in his office at Ward and Smith law firm last Wednesday.
Smith was recently recognized for his charitable spirit and works by the Craven Community College Foundation, which honored him with one of three Community Fabric Awards (CFA) it presented this year.
The awards were created to showcase excellence in leadership as demonstrated by outstanding initiative, impact of service and inspiration of others. The recipients will be honored during the annual CFA Awards Ceremony and Luncheon, held Tuesday, April 24 at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center.
Though he has worked hard to stay out of the spotlight, Smith’s dedication to improving the quality of life in his community was apparent from his earliest years in New Bern.
A native of Cumberland County, Smith arrived in the city straight out of law school at the University of North Carolina, joining David Ward to form the Ward and Smith, P.A. law firm. Beginning with four attorneys, Ward and Smith has since grown into a firm with five offices across North Carolina and over 90 attorneys.
According to Smith, one his earliest goals was to improve access to quality healthcare for New Bern residents.
When he first arrived over 50 years ago, the health care system in New Bern was far different , Smith remembered.
“One of the things the chamber was doing when I got here, we were recruiting doctors, travelling to Chapel Hill and Duke and explaining to these young residents how potentially great the opportunity was in Craven County and the surrounding area,” he remembered. “There were a lot of very skilled physicians that moved to New Bern and formed the core of the strength that is now evident in medical staff at the hospital.”
You can read the entire article here.
