United Way of the Greater Dayton Area joins the many individuals and organizations who are mourning the loss of a legendary community leader. Frederick C. Smith was one of those rare gems whose impact and legacy will be felt by all of us for generations to come.As the president and CEO of the Huffy Corporation, Fred transformed the company into a nationally-recognized leader in bicycles and ancillary products. When he retired, he put those same skills to work on behalf of the entire Greater Dayton area. The Dayton Foundation, Miami Valley Hospital, Sinclair Community College and the Job Center are just a handful of organizations that benefited from his wisdom and guidance.
Fred's involvement and leadership with United Way of the Greater Dayton Area took the organization to a new level in nonprofit leadership. From the time he chaired the campaign in 1976 to the time he served as President of the Board of Directors, United Way's annual donations increased from $7 million annually to more than $12 million. Fred created what is now known as the Leadership Circle, and he and his wife were founding members of United Way's Tocqueville Society. He served on United Way's Public Policy Council for years, and h is wife Pfeife established and chaired United Way's first priority and evaluation committees. The Smith-Moore award, United Way's highest level of volunteer recognition, was named in his honor for his time, effort and dedication to our community.
A humble man, Fred believed in "termite work" - a phrase he used for quietly working behind the scenes -- which is how he preferred to operate, although his results inevitably put him in the local spotlight nonetheless. The Greater Dayton Area is a stronger, more vibrant place thanks to him. He was a true philanthropist who will be greatly missed in our community.
Sincerely,
United Way of the Greater Dayton Area
Please share your thoughts and memories in the comments section.
Lovely tribute for a tremendous leader. He was one of my all-time favorite people. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteFred was a true leader in the Dayton community. He supported most of the important initiatives that faced our community and gave freely of his time and leadership in their support. he will be missed.
ReplyDeleteIt was a true privilege to learn from Mr. Smith. He was also one of the founders of the Centerville-Washington Foundation. His influence was widespread. He would sit quietly in our planning sessions (I sometimes thought he was asleep!) and then in a few sentences he would pull together all of our discussion in some amazing brief words of wisdom. I also learned from him to keep meetings brief, to the point and on time. That was one of his many tools to accomplish so much with so many in ths community. Thanks for letting me share my thoughts on this great leader! He will be missed.
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