Laura Maria Smith
Volunteer Manager
St. Luke’s Staffer since November 2006

Education
M.A. Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Middle TN State University
B.A. Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Work History
Prior to assuming my role as volunteer manager in August 2007, I managed the mobile meals program since November 2006, which included coordinating 30+ volunteers.

Additionally, my graduate work in Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology from 2004-2006 lends strongly to my work as volunteer manager. I/O Psychology is the application of psychology and metrics to the workplace, particularly in human resources. As volunteer manager, I am managing the unpaid employees, the unpaid human resources of St. Luke’s, which make up about 2/3 of the talent force in our organization.

Favorite St. Luke’s Memory
July 2008: Sitting in circle with the volunteer group from Christ Church Cathedral (rising 7th graders) at the end of day two of their Youth on a Mission week. These young people shared their reflections from their morning’s activities of delivering mobile meals to the homebound in our service area and helping in our preschool rooms. In hearing their reflections, I witnessed in these young people a growing awareness of “another” part of West Nashville, another part of this community that is in a different socio-economic class than these young people, a part of this community that needs love in general and specific forms of support.

As volunteer manager, I get to provide opportunities for people in our community to give their time and talent to others who are in need, and through this kind of giving, I believe we all discover something new in ourselves.

Favorite Quote
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel unsure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. As we let our own Light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
- Marianne Williamson

About me
I thoroughly enjoy doing Interplay! with my friends (an activity and organization started in Oakland, CA twenty years ago that involves playing with improvisational dance/movement, singing/noise-making, silence, and storytelling), wearing bright colors, learning new food recipes, and dreaming about my return trip to Urbino, Italy.