August 13, 2026
“Supporting LakewoodAlive directly supports the quality of life in Lakewood”
Pam Smith’s involvement with LakewoodAlive stems all the way back to the beginning of the organization. Her professional background in marketing at Dupont, her time serving on City Council and her commitment to civic engagement helped her to see the importance of economic development in Lakewood in the early 2000s.
“There was a gap between residents and City Hall,” Pam recalls. Pam and the other early Board members saw an opportunity in the early 2000s to close that gap and bring real resources to the community. So, she and a small group of founding board members created LakewoodAlive – an organization built to sit alongside residents and City Hall alike, and to tap into support that only a nonprofit can access.
Since then, Pam has volunteered at many LakewoodAlive events and helped grow our small business program, offering the kind of hands-on, technical support that helps local entrepreneurs open and grow their businesses right here in Lakewood.
“LakewoodAlive has tremendously helped Lakewood and its quality of life,” Pam says — and it’s a belief she’s backed with two decades of involvement, not just words.
A Cause That Keeps Evolving
What keeps Pam engaged today isn’t just where LakewoodAlive started – it’s where the organization is headed. She’s watched our events remain a vital part of community life and seen firsthand how our small business support helps entrepreneurs get off the ground. More recently, she’s found herself drawn to our Housing Outreach program.
“I’m glad we support people in need who want to stay in their own homes,” Pam says. She points to the educational piece of that work as especially meaningful – helping residents understand what’s possible as they age and want to remain in the place they call home.
Why She Gives
As Pam and her husband Tom approach retirement, they’ve found a new way to support the causes they care about.
“My husband and I are at a point in our lives where we’re starting to draw down from our retirement accounts, and … it gives us a great opportunity to be able to support nonprofits with a portion of that.” This qualified charitable distribution (qcd) allows them to transfer funds directly from a taxable IRA to an eligible 501(c)3 charity like LakewoodAlive.
It’s a practical strategy, but for Pam, the motivation behind it is simple. “Supporting LakewoodAlive directly supports the quality of life in Lakewood”.
