Volunteer of the Year

(L–R): Lauren James, Brad Smith, Cathy Smith, William Smith, Daniel Smith, Natalie Smith

Volunteer of the Year: WILLIAM SMITH of Blue Ridge Bank

This banker was born and raised in the Lancaster area. In fact, William Smith is a third generation local. He left town only to attend James Madison University after which he returned to build his career, his family, and the entire community along the way.

Since 2015, Smith has served as the Vice President and Commercial Lending Officer of Blue Ridge Bank. He’s also the current Treasurer for the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce and has been a Board Member since 2016.

“He is willing to do whatever needs to be done to ensure the success of all of the chamber’s activities,” says executive director Anne Paparella.

Among other volunteer roles over the years, Smith has served as President of Board for The Lancaster Community Library, President of Kilmarnock Chamber of Commerce, and attends and volunteers at the White Stone Church of Nazarene, where he’s well known for making 200+ pancakes every month for a community breakfast. Smith has also chaired the Kilmarnock Lighted Christmas Parade and has been a key volunteer at Taste by the Bay while enlisting the help of others along the way.

Smith, who lives with his wife Cathy in Kilmarnock, is father to three adult children. During the 14 years he’s been banking in the region, his favorite part of his career has been “working with independent business owners and helping them increase their capacity and reach their dreams.”

“One of the neat things is that I can be working with a farmer in the morning and with a business executive in the afternoon,” Smith says. “We have business owners of all dimensions.”

The diversity of the region is its strength, he said. This strength was needed during the pandemic. Hundreds of small businesses in the area received assistance through loans that Blue Ridge Bank administered.

“We think we are through the rough part of COVID and entering the exciting part, which is when social functions are back on the calendar, businesses are opening back up, and fundraisers can start helping us raise important funds again.”

Smith and Blue Ridge Bank are regular supporters of these signature community events.

“We want to be involved in the community we are serving,” he says. “It’s apparent here that everyone is connected … not only are the individuals I work with my customers, they are my friends and my neighbors I interact within on a daily basis. We’re all rolling up sleeves working on same goal making Lancaster County a better to place to live.”