Glendale — The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce saluted George T. Smith as its 2015 Business Person of the Year on Wednesday, September 9, at a festive cocktail reception under a tent at Chesterwood. “There are 2.5 million people named Smith in the United States but, for a guy with a pretty common name, there is only one George T. Smith who has done so much for our community.” With these words, Richard (Rick) J. Cantele, Jr., President and CEO of Salisbury Bancorp, ended his own term as the 2014 honoree and passed the mantle on to George Smith.
With Scott Rote of Wheeler & Taylor Insurance and current chair of the Chamber greeting the attendees and Great Barrington attorney Louis J. Oggiani serving as master of ceremonies, the ceremony featured speakers who know George well and who attested to his accomplishments. His son, Colin Smith, cited George’s ubiquitous bow ties not only as a fashion statement but also as symbols of his passionate concern for his family, his clients and his community. “I always knew you were something special. I’m glad somebody has finally made it official,” he concluded.
Mr. Oggiani read a citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and good friend Thomas Anders told stories that described the growth and success of George’s business Smith, Watson & Company, a full-service accounting firm, as well as his evolution as a civic leader — from membership in the Catamount ski patrol to the founding of the Southern Berkshire Volunteer Ambulance Squad to board presidency of Fairview Hospital to board presidency of Berkshire Health System. All the while, Anders related, George maintained his distinctive individuality, wearing bow ties, racing cars at Lime Rock and riding around Sheffield in his antique fire truck to the astonishment of former Police Chief Jim McGarry.
In accepting the award, Smith reminisced that his father used to bring him to the Great Barrington Fair as a child. His father would bet on the horses, and he would watch then running around the track. He feels lucky to have settled in the Berkshires. He thanked his children and his four partners and associates at Smith Watson, and he modestly thanked people for coming to support the Chamber of Commerce which he has seen grow, since its founding in 1962, into a robust and important organization.
Acknowledging George Smith’s distinctive style, bow ties were distributed to all guests, and both men and women were found wearing them throughout the evening. The Marketplace Kitchen provided heavy hors d’oeuvres and desserts. A variety of wines were provided by Domaney’s, Plaza Package and Cellarbration. The tent was decorated with flower arrangements from Wildflower Florists.
Despite the heat, the evening was well attended by local business people and civic leaders. And the evening’s heavy rain held off until most people had been able to make it back to their cars.
