Florence has just recently joined the staff at the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia as the new Director of Communications. A graduate from Wilmington College, Florence uses her Bachelor’s degree in Multi-media Design and Communications to blend talent and creativity in her many tasks in our communications department. She recalled, “Even as a child, I can remember being creative and using my imagination in everything I did. My mother used to say I was the only child she knew of that could entertain herself for hours.” So when faced with a decision of what to do after high school, Florence opted for the design field. “Initially, I was planning on going into interior design, but after careful consideration of career opportunities and academic programs, I decided that the graphic design program at Wilmington College was the best course for me,” she commented. Florence worked full-time as a reception supervisor at First State Orthopedics and put herself through college at night and on the weekends. She completed her degree program in December 2001. For the past several years, Florence has worked as a manager in marketing and advertising for a small company in Glasgow, Delaware.
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Florence, Paige, and Dan Smith.
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In July 2002, Florence married her best friend and the love of her life, Daniel Smith. His daughter Paige, then four years old, was the flowergirl. When asked about Paige, Florence replied “I consider her my daughter; I can’t imagine life without her. We have grown very close over the years.” Paige, now ten years old, is going into the fourth grade and enjoys the fact that she has two sets of parents that love her very much. Florence added, “I know first-hand how that feels, coming from a family with two sets of parents. My father and step-mother reside in New York; my mother and step-father reside in Delaware. I come from a large family with five siblings and now several nieces and nephews and even though we live apart, we remain close.”
The Smith family now resides in Newark, Delaware, and loves to spend time doing family things together. “Family is very important to me,”Florence stated, “We have strict rules about eating dinner together at the table with no television. That was a trait I learned from my father and came to respect and love. To this day, when we visit my father in upstate New York, the best conversations are held around the dinner table.” Florence and Dan tend to keep themselves busy doing things they love. “We have tons of hobbies — from karaoke to bowling, country line-dancing to roller blading; we just love doing it all. We are all outgoing individuals; we just hate to sit still. We would rather go play tennis as a family than sit on the couch watching television, except when American Idol is on,” she added with a smile.
When asked what she likes best about working with the Sisters of St. Francis, Florence replied. “Everything and everybody. I just feel so comfortable here. Since my very first day, I have been greeted with smiling faces and helpful attitudes. It is such a change of pace compared to working out in the corporate world. It is a great feeling to truly be appreciated for what you do. I look forward to a long-lasting relationship with the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. It is like a great big extended family. I feel blessed to have found this position; it feels good to work with people that make such a difference in the world. For years, I have wanted to get myself and my family into some volunteer work, especially around the holidays, but didn’t know where to look. Now that I know the sisters, I look forward to being able to contribute some of my time to those who are in need.”
