Alumni Spotlight: Lisa (Stover) Smith '84

Coordinating a District-Wide Team of Volunteers

A 1984 CV graduate, Lisa Smith now serves as the district's VIA (Volunteers in Action) Coordinator, a role that plays a big behind-the-scenes part in keeping CV schools running smoothly. Lisa works with building coordinators in each of the district's schools to support teachers and staff in any way possible — handling prep work like copying and laminating and helping with school events so that teachers can focus on the real work of their profession: lesson planning and managing their classrooms.

Volunteering has been a thread running through Lisa's life for decades, long before she took on this role. As a Navy family, Lisa and her late husband, Captain David Smith, moved frequently during his 26-year career, living across the country and overseas, including a period in Iceland, where Lisa worked as a substitute teacher. Wherever her children were in school, Lisa found her way into the classroom and the community — volunteering in each new district they called home along the way, long before "VIA Coordinator" was ever a title she held.

After Captain Smith passed away suddenly, Lisa faced the difficult question of where to go next. She made the decision to bring her family "home" — back to Conestoga Valley, the community where she grew up and went to school herself. That homecoming eventually led her to the VIA Coordinator role, where her years of volunteering experience now benefit an entire district.

Lisa's career path has taken many forms over the years — from working as a mortgage servicer and processor for banks in the South and Northeast, to substitute teaching in Iceland, to serving as a cafeteria proctor in CV from 2019 to 2026, all building toward the role she holds today. She's also a graduate of Elizabethtown College and currently serves as a Peer Mentor for TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors), a nonprofit supporting military families who have lost a service member — a cause deeply personal to her own family's story.

Lisa's ties to Conestoga Valley run through her own school days, too. She has fond memories of her time in sports and the CV Marching Band — in the 1980s, the largest marching band in Lancaster County — and still keeps in touch with many of her high school friends today. Some of her favorite teachers were Mr. Hillen, Mr. Bortzfield, Mr.Kauffman, Mr. Feiler, Mr. Reist (both Jr. High), and Mr. Rohm (Elementary). She also holds a unique piece of CV history: she was part of former Superintendent Dr. Gerry Huesken's very first graduating class, and her oldest daughter was in his very last class before he retired.

Outside of her work and volunteering, Lisa enjoys travel, soccer, NASCAR, and spending time with her three children — Malena, a high school social studies teacher in Delaware; Aubrey, a member of the PA Army National Guard; and Michael, a CV freshman and member of the soccer team.

Interested in becoming a VIA volunteer? You don't need to be a parent of a CV student to get involved — anyone in the community with some time to give is welcome! Sign up here: Volunteers in Action. Please note that volunteers do need updated clearances to be inside school buildings; you can find information on completing those here: Volunteer Clearance Information.