DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Loretta Derett-Smith
Loretta Derett-Smith
Loretta Derett-Smith taught herself shorthand from an encyclopedia when she was in the seventh grade in Madison, Illinois, and she has never veered from her career plan.
For 22 years, she has served MSU Extension Service clients in Tippah County as an office associate. While she manages all of the usual office duties, such as managing schedules, writing letters, scheduling meetings, setting up for programs, planning, budgeting and helping with all of the local specialty groups including 4-H, the Forestry Association, the Cattlemen’s Association, and Master Gardeners, she knows her role requires much more.
“I knew at an early age that I wanted to be a secretary,” she explains. “Not only did I need to write fast, I needed to listen. I loved to write and I loved to help others and to solve problems. As an office associate, this is what you do all day. You listen and get the job done in the most efficient and effective way possible.”
Her earliest experiences taught her a lot.
“That first year as a secretary in a county with a fair involving premiums to be paid -- I cried for a solid month,” she remembers. “It took me a month to clear out my books and get all of the premiums paid. The next year was a different story. I improve every year.”
Helping with Extension programs and the Tippah County Fair are her favorite work-related responsibilities, and her helpfulness has resulted in long-standing friendships.
“One day we had a client come in right at closing because his daughter needed a photo for a passport,” she says. “He lived across the street and would come by the office, but he never had much to say to me. I told him I was happy to help, and after that day we became the best of friends.”
Loretta’s passion for helping others extends to her free time. She has volunteered on the board of the local Good Samaritan Center and helps with local food drives. She has also joined the newly formed Mississippi Mat Project making mats for the homeless out of recycled grocery bags.
Her job as 4-H Mom, Band Mom, PTO President Mom and Ripley High School Ambassador Mom ended when her daughter, Asia, graduated from high school, but her truck tag still reads ASIAMOM. Asia recently graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in biology. Loretta is a serious fan of the Dallas Cowboys and former MSU quarterback Dak Prescott.
Editor's note: The Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Spotlight Employee profiles are provided by the Office of Agricultural Communications at Mississippi State. For more information, please click here.
