Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Hawn announced at the March 26 Board of Education meeting that Cory Smegal, a two-term Board of Education member and long-time community volunteer, has been selected as the recipient of this year’s Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award.
The award is given annually to an individual who has made exceptional contributions to the community and to Piedmont’s youth through years of dedicated volunteer service.
“The Board and I are pleased to recognize Cory Smegal for her outstanding service to Piedmont’s youth and the greater community,” said Hawn in a statement. “The many nominations we received highlighted her tireless efforts to make a lasting difference, most recently through her leadership as a School Board member. Cory has been an integral part of Piedmont for over two decades, giving her time, wisdom, and leadership to enrich our schools and community. It is with great honor and gratitude that we recognize her contributions.”
In a press release, PUSD highlighted: Throughout her years of service, Cory has played a vital role in supporting Piedmont schools and students. Her calm and steady leadership during her two terms on the School Board was especially critical during the pandemic. Prior to the School Board, Cory served as the Piedmont Education Foundation treasurer and grants committee co-chair, and dedicated six years to the Giving Campaign, raising over $3.4 million as Co-Chair. Additionally, she has held multiple leadership roles in Parent Clubs, including serving as Wildwood Parent Club President and later as the founder of March Mingle in support of Piedmont Middle School.
Beyond her direct contributions to PUSD, Cory has championed key district initiatives, including the Measure G & H parcel tax campaigns and provided valuable insight into the successful Measure P parcel tax campaign. She has also served on the District Facilities Steering Committee, lending her expertise to major school construction projects such as the Alan Harvey Theater, the STEAM building, and the Witter Field Renovation.
Smegal also actively supported the broader Piedmont community through her work as a team leader for the Piedmont Community Church Mexico Trip, chair of the PHS Boosters Highlander Classic, a board member for Piedmont Baseball/Softball Foundation, and a scouting badge counselor and youth sports coach.
The Board of Education will formally present the award to Smegal at its meeting on May 14.
The Arthur Hecht Volunteer of the Year Award is presented annually to individuals who have volunteered their efforts over a period of time and made a difference because of their involvement and commitment to Piedmont’s youth. Arthur ‘Art’ Hecht was a tireless community volunteer dedicated to students in both Piedmont and Oakland. He served on Piedmont’s Board of Education from 1970 to 1982, and was instrumental in developing the Piedmont Continuation High School (now called Millennium High School). In 1998, the Volunteer of the Year Award was established in his memory.
Previous recipients include: Hunter McCreary (1998); Ann Chandler (1999); Ruth Cuming (2000); Lisa Lomenzo (2001); jointly by Cathie Geddeis and Marion Souyoultzis (2002); jointly by Fritz and Mary Wooster (2003); Elizabeth (Betsy) Gentry (2004); Cynthia Gorman (2005); Grier Graff (2006); Julia Burke (2007); Maude Pervere (2008); jointly to Anne-Marie Lamarche and Mark Menke (2009); Janiele Maffei Tovani (2010); Andrea Swenson (2011), June Monach (2012), Bill Drum (posthumously) and Mary Ireland (2013), Ray Perman (2014), Jennifer Fox (2015), Katie Korotzer (2016), Hilary Cooper (2017) Holly Hanke (2018), Cathy Glazier (2019), Sue Smegal (2020), Ken Li (2021), Eileen Ruby (2022), David Ragones (2023), and Sarah Pearson (2024).