Joan Quedenfeld Smith

I graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1973, BA, Home Economics, and married Bill Wolf, Heights High class of '68. We divorced in 1978. I joined Whirlpool Corporation in 1979. I married my wonderful Jim Smith in 1981, became an active step-mother of three kids age 6 to 14 and continued at Whirlpool. In 1988 I received an MBA from Nazareth College. I left Whirlpool in 1991 and started Smith-Dahmer Associates with Ann Dahmer. We continue to own and manage the business today. It is a consumer research firm with 43 employees in St Joseph, Michigan and Minneapolis. In 2007 we were selected as one of Michigan's Top 50 Small Businesses.
My life has been filled with joy and challenge, its share of heart ache, but mostly the sustaining love of family and friends.

My high school memories are mostly of choir. I loved singing in the choir but for years after graduation I would dream of arriving at a performance without my choir robe or worse yet, with a very wrinkled one, and facing the wrath of Mac, our Director. Funny how those things stay with you! I laugh about it to myself to this day. Choir had a big impact on my life in terms of preparing me to meet and speak to large groups of people.

Oxford/ Monticello