Richard Smith has been named to the Second Wind Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation Board. Carol Browning, president of Second Wind and Eloise Johnson, a board member of Second Wind, presented the award at the Polk County Soil and Water Conservation board meeting on Monday, April 10.

The award read in part, “In recognition of a useful and productive life, continuing beyond retirement, while others paused to rest. This dedicated person caught a ‘second wind’ and began a new career of service to the community and to mankind.”

Richard has been a volunteer coach for Polk County High School Future Farmers of America Land Judging Team since 2001. He volunteers dozens of hours each year with conservation efforts. 

He has been a deacon at Pea Ridge Baptist church for 31 years. He has volunteered to cook chicken for the 4-H Club barbeque supper for 14 years, and has also served as a member and on the executive committee of the Mountain Valley Resource and Development Council.

Richard served on the Slater Committee of the Polk County Community Foundation for three years. He was a member and chairman of the Gordano Scholarship Committee for 14 years.

In addition to all of the above, he drives church members and veterans to the doctor and also to the VA Hospital in Oteen.

Richard was Polk County Teacher of the Year in 1992 and 1999. He is listed as a Who’s Who among American Teachers in 1996, 1998 and 2002 and received the Friend of Cooperative Extension Award in 2000.

Richard attended North Carolina State University and graduated with a BS in agriculture education in 1969. In 1988 he received his master’s degree from North Carolina A & T State University in agriculture education. He moved to Polk County in 1972 from Goldsboro, N.C. and taught at Polk Central High School and Polk County High School for 29 years.

Married to Robin Hudson Smith and living in Tryon, they have two children, a daughter, Jamie Kilgore, who lives in Mill Spring, and a son, James Smith, who lives in Columbus.

Second Wind Hall of Fame is a 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to identify those outstanding volunteers over the age of 60 who contribute so much to the quality of life in our community.

– article submitted by Carol Browning