ALL SMILES — Lily Smith-East (center) is joined by Mary Ann Sherman (left), Linda Williams (background) and Edith Cooper at the 52nd NYS Employees Brotherhood Committee luncheon where she received the Bertram Harris Civil Service Award in February. — Photo by Ken Dischel

DOL member honored with Brotherhood Award

By DEBORAH A. MILES
It takes a special individual to be honored with the Bertram Harris Civil Service Award. It takes someone like Lily Smith-East, who says the best reward is the feeling of personal satisfaction when you help someone else.

Smith-East, a PEF member and workforce specialist in the state’s Welfare-To-Work program at the state Department of Labor (DOL), is proud her job revolves around helping others.

“My work and what I do is a part of Bertram Harris’ dream,” she said. “I try to promote brotherhood and keep his philosophy alive. He wanted unions and people to work together with dignity and respect.”

The annual award was named after Harris for his work as a former NYC chapter president of the NAACP and his activism during the civil rights movement.

The honor is presented annually by the New York State Employees Brotherhood Committee Inc. to a civil servant and an elected official. This year marks the 52nd anniversary of the committee, which works to promote the principles of brotherhood in daily life by word and deed.

Smith-East received the award at the committee’s annual luncheon held at the DC 37 union hall in lower Manhattan in February. More than 400 people attended, including co-workers and the woman who nominated her, Mary Ann Sherman.

Sherman, a Civil Service Employees Association retiree, described Smith-East as an active professional who enjoys volunteering. “She is easy to work with, she keeps the peace and is a role model for many,” Sherman said.

And Smith-East had a number of roles. She started working at DOL 34 years ago as a clerk and made her way up through the ranks. She worked as an employment service representative for the past 11 years, before accepting the workforce specialist position last August.

“I’ve covered the whole spectrum,” she said.

Along the way, Smith-East earned a bachelor of science degree in public administration from Pace University and completed graduate studies in labor-management from Cornell University.

She is a PEF Division 245A steward and assistant council leader and also serves on the DOL labor-management committee. To top the list of her achievements, she is also president of the NYS International Association of Workforce Professionals. 

“I feel honored to receive the award,” Smith-East said. “I’m fortunate. I like what I do, and that’s helping people.”