Public servants encompass many different roles and duties, and Deputy Cathy Smith’s job at the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office was no different.

Smith recently announced her retirement from the BPSO civil office after nearly 20 years of being one of the first faces to greet the public when they entered the office’s lobby, and she said that being that welcoming smile was one of her favorite parts of her job.

Born and raised a DeRidder Dragon, Smith said she has enjoyed assisting the community she loved, and that when she first accepted a position at the civil office, she knew it would be a job she would want to keep for the rest of her employment career.

“I found it a rewarding job. We saw many different people coming in to the office day after day, and I loved being able to help them. I loved working with the people there and feeling like I helped make a difference in someone’s day when they came in to see us,” Smith said.

In her mid-20s, Smith moved away to live in Dallas for five years. While she enjoyed the brief change of scenery and experiencing the city life for a while, she said she was all too happy to return to her hometown for good in 1985.

During her time with BPSO, Smith worked in many different divisions at the civil office, and her duties consisted of handling employee and vehicle insurance, civil service processing, traffic court and sales tax.

It was in the area of handling sales and property taxes that Smith said she felt most that she was helping others.

“Sometimes people simply don’t understand how property taxes work, so they would come into the office a little overwhelmed or concerned and I would explain things to them to help them understand,” Smith said.

With her new life as a retiree, Smith said she is excited to embrace a life with no plans at all.

“I’m just taking it one day at a time. I don’t have any grand plans, and I prefer it that way. I’m happy to not be rushing around anymore,” she said.