Wednesday, August 7, 2002

Smolas balance family, work, community involvement

Janet and Mike Smola just recently tipped over into the Prime Timer ranks. Like many in their 50s, the pair juggles the responsibilities of children and work. However, the Smolas' commitment to the community adds an extra bit to their busy lives.

Both feel strongly that service is something learned by example and they want to set the right example for their three children.

Despite the demands of his job with ASA/Delta Air Lines as a finance manager, Mike has regularly attended Tyrone Town Council and Planning and Zoning meetings for the past five years, keeps abreast of issues in the community and makes sure his voice is heard when appropriate.

Speaking of Mike's involvement in the political process, Janet noted, "He feels that if you're going to have an opinion, you had better take the time to learn the issues."

Mike researches issues and, if he misses a meeting, makes sure to read the minutes.

Janet serves on the Fayette County Board of Education while balancing her charitable work and her job as a professional fundraiser for nonprofit organizations.

It's clear when talking to both that the three children come first for both parents. They go to great lengths to ensure that none of their children are slighted by any of their outside commitments.

Evan, the oldest, is a sophomore at the University of Georgia. Zach is a senior at Sandy Creek High School, and Andrew will be starting his freshman year at the same school shortly.

Janet and Mike are both strong, independent individuals who, according to Janet, have had their share of challenges. After 30 years, and a few ups and downs, the two are proud of their children, their accomplishments and their reliance on each other.

Speaking of Mike, Janet said, "We have the same moral convictions, the same goals, a strong respect and recognition of each other's independence and we're not threatened by that independence.

"When it comes to our children, we don't miss a beat. We don't compete, we support each other and appreciate our differing talents."

The couple is looking forward to celebrating their 30th anniversary ­ a little late. Although they'll reach the 30-year mark in August, the celebration of the event is being postponed due to the upcoming Great Georgia Airshow. Janet is heading up the marketing and fund-raising for the show, a commitment that Mike supports. Saying he understood the demands on Janet's time with the event, he preferred to wait until he could have her undivided attention for their anniversary trip to San Francisco.

Mike was born in Springfield, Mass., the son of two second-generation Polish families. He misses the ethnic diversity of his early home, more so the variety of foods it seems than the actual neighborhoods.

A strong work ethic was ingrained in Mike from an early age. As a youth, he spent most of his summers working with his uncle on the farms. He and his uncle would be up many days by 3 a.m. heading to the market to sell produce. Mike remembers his uncle talking about driving 200 miles to sell tomatoes to Campbell Soups during the Depression to survive.

Mike's first job netted him 40 cents an hour, which enabled him to supplement his wardrobe. He said he was one of the "best dressed kids in school."

At the age of 14, Mike broke his uncle's heart and took a summer job working in the tobacco fields for $1.10 an hour, a "huge increase." The tobacco companies leased school buses to transport workers during the summer and employed many of Mike's teachers.

He worked for two summers in the fields before taking a job with the local newspaper. "It was a great job," he said, "probably my favorite job." He worked Saturday nights from 4 p.m. until part of the paper was printed, then came back at midnight and worked until the second part of the paper was printed.

What made the job so great was the sense of accomplishment, plus the fact that he was paid for 8 hours for each shift regardless of the time he actually worked. Since the paper was often finished on each shift within four hours, he was able to squeeze a date in between the early and late shifts. Plus, he was making a whopping $3.50-$4.00 per hour.

After graduating from high school, he went attended college while continuing to live at home. Both he and Janet worked for Avis, although they didn't work together or meet on the job.

The pair met at a New Year's Eve party at a friend's house. Both were dating others at the time. They didn't start dating until months later, when their current relationships had ended.

Although the sparks didn't fly for Mike at their first meeting, Mike definitely made an impression on Janet. Not only because she thought he was cute, but he left the car he was driving "hanging in a tree."

He and friends left the party a little early to traverse the snowy, icy roads. The brakes locked up going down the hill and the car full of friends slowly rolled down the hill, off the edge of the road onto the top of a tree. The car had to be removed with a crane.

She also remembers something he seemed to want to forget ­ his first attempt at humor in her presence. She asked Mike to pass the butter, then asked how old he was. He quipped, "Old enough to know butter," and sealed his fate.

He says it took him six months to ask her out, simply because he couldn't remember her name. Then, when he finally discovered her last name, he couldn't pronounce it. Janet's maiden name was Phetteplace, pronounced "petty place." The fact that they didn't live in the same town made tracking her down a little harder. Janet was born and raised in West Springfield.

The two attended different colleges while dating, marrying in their junior year. When Mike graduated in the '70s he said the New England economy could be best be described as "terrible." He looked for jobs in the financial field but soon realized he could make more staying with Avis.

The couple moved to Chicago as a result of a promotion for Mike. Janet, who had also continued to work for Avis, took a job with a local hotel managing convention space and arranging meetings in Chicago. She later took a job offer from one of her clients as the sssistant to the president of an insurance company, then as the director of recruiting and training for Connecticut Mutual Insurance.

After a few years another promotion moved the two to the New York area, where they lived for 11 years. Mike's job took him all over the world as a project manager.

Evan was born in 1983. Zach joined his brother in 1985 and Andrew rounded out the trio in 1988. With the arrival of Evan, Janet put her career on hold.

Mike left Avis in 1986 at the urging of friends who had already made the move to Pan Am. Five years after he started with Pan Am, Delta Air Lines bought the company. Mike, along with many others, moved to the Atlanta area as a result of the acquisition.

Mike and Janet entered into a "commuter relationship." Janet stayed "up north" to sell the house and allow the children to complete school. In 1993 she and the children moved to Tyrone.

The great school system, the proximity to the airport and the community drew the family to Tyrone. The couple had spent inordinate amounts of time looking for just the right place to live. They had lived in "an idyllic postcard community" in the country, and Janet was determined to live in a similar environment. When Mike mentioned their difficulty in finding a home to a co-worker, she immediately said, "Oh, you're talking about Tyrone."

"We still think that Fayette County, particularly this area, is the best kept secret in the Atlanta area," said Mike, who has definite ideas about the future of the area he has called home, and plans to continue to call home.

"Tyrone is a gateway to Atlanta and to the rest of Fayette County. Knowing what it could look like without proper planning, we can demand more and get it."

He is aware that development is coming, "zoning is already in place that can't be changed without disenfranchising current land owners." However, he says they can use the Avenue in Peachtree City as a model rather than the Hwy. 92/85 corridors in Fayetteville.

He refers to some ideas first put forth by former Mayor Norm Davis, saying, "If we could keep traffic to Hwy. 74, we can keep Tyrone aesthetically pleasing."

He noted that Tyrone had almost doubled in size since he moved to the area.

Janet jumped right into the community when she first moved to Tyrone. She worked as a parapro at Burch Elementary before taking a position as director of fundraising for the Sams School. Her efforts with the nonprofit resulted in the construction of a school for children with disabilities on Brandywine Blvd.

With the successful completion of those efforts, Janet went into business for herself as a professional fundraiser for nonprofits. Her largest client currently is the Great Georgia Airshow, which has donated money to over 40 local charities. She expects the Airshow to be "bigger and better" this year.

Janet is an active member of the Fayetteville Rotary Club and serves on the Investment Advisory Board for the United Way.

Both Janet and Mike enjoy working around the house and in the garden. Both said that gardening helps them keep their sanity and is "very therapeutic."

"Mike has the green thumb," said Janet, to which Mike responded, "Janet's the pointer and I'm the put-ter."

Mike is an avid skier, while Janet tags along to shop.

Talking with the two is a lesson in life. Community involvement, striving to make the future better for their children and their children's children, inner focus, looking at both sides of issues they drop convictions and lessons learned into conversations without missing a beat. Both are open about some of the difficulties they've faced and how hard they've worked to resolve issues.

Mike agreed when Janet smiled and said, "We're stronger than ever. We've learned through the years that we most like about each other are how strong and independent we are."

She continued, "Mike is definitely the wind beneath my wings ­ I could never devote the time to issues without his support." Mike echoes the sentiment.

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