2018 Who’s Who in America’s Neighborhoods Award

Gladys Smith

Syracuse, New York

Gladys Smith is a living legend in Syracuse, NV. An ardent community organizer since the 1960’s, Gladys’ rolodex boasts the personal telephone numbers of every Mayor, Police Chief and County Commissioner elected over the past 40 years, as well as dozens more Syracuse and New York State and HUD officials. And more importantly, when Gladys Smith calls, they listen.

Ms. Smith’s lifelong commitment to civic involvement began in the 1950’s, and has included the Syracuse Congress of Racial Equality, being a Neighborhood Outreach and Program Coordinator with Crusade for Opportunity, the Citywide Council of Syracuse Low-Income Housing Residents, CAMP 415, and a distinguished career as a Licensed Practical Nurse. These are just a few of the many and varied ways Ms. Smith has served her community. To sum up best why Ms. Smith has been honored with this award, her nominator wrote, ‘Ms. Smith has served as a role model and agent for change. Her contributions to the neighborhood are beyond measure and have truly enhanced the neighborhood in becoming a community and not just a place to live.’

Sue McLean

Fort Worth, Texas

Sue McLean has been a neighborhood volunteer since she moved to the Fairmount neighborhood 33 years ago. Neighbors say Sue is always there, always instrumental, always helping. From the moment she moved into her 1918 Bungalow home in 1984, she became an advocate for the neighborhood’s historic homes. She immediately began her volunteer work by helping with The Fairmount Tour of Homes, an event where 6-10 homes are selected to highlight the beautiful architecture of Fairmount and (in the early years of the event) to inspire new people to move into a neighborhood that was considered neglected and run-down.

Over many years, Sue has become a fount of information on houses in Fairmount. She began gathering and cataloging all the Fairmount written history which was then sent to the Fort Worth Public Library for safekeeping. In 1990, 5 years after she arrived, the neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and listed as a City of Fort Worth Historic and Cultural Landmark District.

Beyond her work with the FNA and historic preservation, Sue has been a key volunteer for the City of Fort Worth’s Code Blue, Citizens on Patrol (COP) program, the Fairmount Southside Garden Club, the Fairmount Marching Band, the Good Neighbor Animal Rescue, and resurrected the neighborhoods monthly Girls Night Out. For 34 years, Sue’s neighbors and fellow Fairmount Neighborhood Association members have recognized her to be the most loyal and consistent volunteer within their neighborhood and nominated her for this award so she could be recognized and thanked for her years of service and dedication.

Tige Watts

Columbia, South Carolina

Tige Watt’s journey as a neighborhood leader in Columbia, SC started back in 2003 when he attended his first-ever neighborhood meeting and left it as President of the Brandon Acres/Cedar Terrace Neighborhood Association. Except for one year (2007 to 2008), Tige has served his neighborhood for the past 15 years as its president. A year after he was elected neighborhood leader, Tige was elected Vice President of the Columbia Council of
Neighborhoods (CCN), an umbrella organization of communities in the City of Columbia. In 2005, Tige was elected President-elect of CCN, a position he served in for two years, and he became the
22nd president of the organization in 2007.

In 2009, he became active with two big projects – the Richland County Neighborhood Council and Neighborhoods, USA. With NUSA, Tige achieved great things for the nationwide organization. Tige and other NUSA board members worked together to streamline the organization’s costs, modernize operations and recruit new leaders. At NUSA, Tige served as President for 4 years, Vice President for 3 years, and Parliamentarian for one year.

Tige is an inspiration for many in his hometown of Columbia and beyond. He challenges people to absorb his infectious “can-do” attitude and that aura of positivity is making a difference in the neighborhoods of Columbia and across the entire city and country.