For Dave Smith, that person was his high school Spanish teacher, Sylvia Parrott Flynn.

“She saved me,” Smith said. “She saved my life.”

Smith lost his mother to cancer when he was in middle school. A few years later, his father died from a heart attack. Suddenly, Smith was orphaned as a high school student.

It was Parrott Flynn who stepped up for Smith and took him in.

Dave Smith, right, is pictured with his mentor, Sylvia Parrott Flynn, who inspired him to pursue a career in education.

“She fed me multiple nights a week. She drove me back and forth to school. She was a stand-in mother for me after I lost mine,” Smith said. “… and she’s a mother to me now.”

Smith was inspired to pursue a career in education because of the influence Parrott Flynn had on him. He said, “When I went into this line of work, I just wanted to be a Sylvia to these kids who are in broken homes, that are struggling through tough situations. I just wanted to do everything I could to pay it forward like she did for me.”

It’s safe to say Smith has done just that.

After serving as an administrator for the last 23 years at the Gowanda Central School District, Smith is retiring at the end of the year. He will be going out on top.

Smith was named as the 2026 Assistant Principal of the Year by the School Administrators’ Association of New York State (SAANYS) Region 12 selection committee. The award is given annually to an administrator who has demonstrated exceptional skill in leadership and a commitment to the educational process. Smith will be formally recognized by the association on May 11.

“This is a tremendous and well-deserved honor that reflects Dave’s outstanding leadership, dedication to students and staff, and consistent commitment to our district’s mission and values,” said Superintendent Dr. Robert Anderson. “We are fortunate to have such an exemplary leader in our district.”

Smith said the honor was “a great surprise” to receive — so much of a surprise that he unknowingly dodged calls and emails from representatives attempting to give him the news for over a week.

“I had been deleting emails and declining calls from numbers I don’t know,” Smith said. He finally found out about the award, which he called “an outstanding honor,” last Friday.

Smith has earned a reputation for building relationships with students and families for more than two decades at Gowanda. Over that time, he has been a principal to multiple generations of students.

Smith was Middle School Principal for 13 years, and is now in his 10th year as Assistant Principal of Gowanda Middle/High School, a role that includes overseeing discipline. Anderson defined Smith as “a pillar” of the school for over two decades.

As not only a principal, but also President of the Gowanda Administrators’ Association, Smith wears many hats. His impact on the Gowanda community extends well beyond the school itself. Smith serves as President of the Cattaraugus County Board of Health, and also spent seven years as the mayor of Gowanda. He is a dedicated member of the Gowanda Free Methodist Church, as well.

Not many administrators can say they stayed in the same district for 23 years. Smith, an Ellicottville High School graduate, is proud to call this area home. He called it “a match made in heaven” and did not want to go anywhere else.

“This has been my home. I love my community,” Smith said. “I love the families. Honestly, there is not a kid here I wouldn’t go out of my way to help.”

Thinking of what the award means to him, Smith highlighted everyone who is responsible for helping the school run smoothly, including bus drivers, food service workers, cleaners, monitors, teachers, counselors, social workers, secretaries, and his fellow administrators, including Superintendent Anderson and the Board of Education. He thanked everyone who he worked with during his time at Gowanda for the work they did.

“This award belongs to everybody. All of those people have worked together over my career to help me be me,” Smith said. “I’ve met some great people, and they deserve as much recognition.”