The Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce’s Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) introduces you to our “Young Professional of the Month,” Lacie Smith. Each month the CYPN Steering Committee recommends a young professional in the community it thinks Concord Insider readers would enjoy getting to know better.
How old are you? 29
Where do you live? Concord.
Where do you currently work? I’m currently working as a tax senior accountant at Nathan Wechsler & Company in Concord.
What’s your favorite part of your work day? I specialize in working with nonprofits, so I love learning about the incredible things charities are doing for our community, and helping them to achieve their goals.
Where did you go to school? Boston College as an undergraduate and Northeastern University for business school.
What do you like to do for fun? I love to be outside! I’m currently working on my 4,000 footers (expecting to finish this year!) and am planning a backpacking trip to Olympic National Park this summer. Since moving to Concord, I’ve also picked up skiing and rock climbing, and I’m excited to start exploring places to cycle and kayak around here, too. It’s wonderful to live in a place with so many opportunities for outdoor recreation.
Favorite places to be? The White Mountains are my happy place!
Last book you’ve read? The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene.
How did you find out about CYPN and how has it benefited your business or you personally? I only just moved to Concord in September, and was excited to hear about CYPN through Facebook. CYPN is how I met some of my first friends here, and how I continue to make new ones. I’ve also had the pleasure of getting to know a lot of people who work for or with my clients, which adds some real perspective to understanding the great work they are doing.
What organizations are you involved with? I’m excited to be getting involved with the Central New Hampshire Biking Coalition this spring.
Who is your greatest role model? John Muir. That guy gets it.
What’s your favorite restaurant in Concord? I wish it were something fancy, but let’s be real, it’s Dos Amigos. You can always run into a friendly face from EVO Rock + Fitness there.
What’s your favorite place to go in Concord? Sewalls Falls. Only a few miles from my house but it feels so removed from everything. My dog likes it there, too.
What is one of your life goals? To leave the world a better place than I found it. …Or visit all the national parks. One or the other.
What has been your favorite CYPN event so far? The event at Lithermans Limited Brewery was great. I met so many interesting people, and the beer there is amazing.
If you could visit any country, where would you go? Funny you should ask… I am planning a backpacking trip across Ireland for next year. After living in Boston for 10 years, I fell totally in love with the music, storytelling and culture of Ireland. We’ll be hiking across the countryside and staying in taverns along the way.
Where is the best place you’ve visited? Hard question. Probably a tie between the Grand Canyon and New Orleans. Both were incredibly moving experiences for totally different reasons. Looking up from the bottom of the Grand Canyon humbled my humanity and hearing words of hope from a Katrina survivor humbled my spirit.
Who would you really like to meet? Pope Francis and the Dalai Lama.
Tell us a few interesting facts about yourself! I refuse to eat green peppers, but red peppers are delicious (they taste different, I swear!) Also, I have a 9-pound toy poodle named Sammy Davis Jr. Jr. who loves attention so if you see us around town come say hello.
About CYPN: Concord Young Professionals Network (CYPN) is a professional and personal development initiative of the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce that promotes the growth of Capital Region professionals in their 20s, 30s and 40s. CYPN offers complimentary monthly Lunch & Learns and will host a free networking event on April 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at UNH Law in Concord. For more information or to RSVP, visit concordnhchamber.com/CYPN or email events@concordnhchamber.com to sign up for our email updates.
