Carl Smith is Staff Member of the Year at Liberty Middle School. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – Because of the devastation from Hurricane Katrina, Carl Smith and his family relocated to the Madison area after the monstrous storm hit New Orleans.

Although Smith moved due to dire circumstances, he has found his niche among the teachers and students at Liberty Middle School. Smith was selected as 2016 Staff Member of the Year at Liberty.

“Carl Smith is one of the people at Liberty who helps to make it such a special place to be,” Liberty Assistant Principal Jamie Golliver said. “His hard work, dedication and selflessness are all attributes that can be found at the core of our success.”

“I started off working as a substitute custodian at various (campuses) of Madison City Schools,” Smith said. “I have been at Liberty now for several years.”

“As custodian, my hours are from late morning until early evening. I work to make sure that the school is clean inside and out and also to help out wherever that I am needed,” Smith said.

“I love kids, and I am proud that I have a job in which my work helps to benefit the students,” he said.

For Smith, the most rewarding part of his job is working “with the wonderful teachers, staff and administration at Liberty. I also love cooking gumbo for everyone to enjoy. There are no major challenges with my job.”

Because of the nature of his job, Smith has dealt with many teachers through the years. “There’s one teacher who always takes time to talk to me about my interests and my family,” he said. “She can always make me laugh.”

“My wife’s name is Pennie, and we are blessed with nine children and four grandchildren,” Smith said.