2024 Carroll Magazine Person of the Year: Terry Smack
compiled by Kym Byrnes, photography by Nikola Tzenov
Driven to Make A Difference: How Her Hustle and Heart Transformed the Community
“I’m both honored and shocked. I just do what I can without thinking about it. It’s especially meaningful to be recognized because I was not born or raised in this county. It means a lot to be accepted in this way.” – Terry Smack
It was November of 2023, and the race was on. Seven teams of two competitors raised money over several weeks to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County. The competitor on each team who raised the most money would stay warm and dry on dunk day while the other competitor faced the frigid waters of a dunk tank. Local business owner Terry Smack donned a giant blow-up flamingo costume and worked feverishly to beat out her opponent Ed Singer (former head of the Carroll County Health Department and Carroll Magazine Person of the Year in 2021), who wore a scuba-themed getup. After learning that she was trailing Ed, Terry made a final push on the day of the dunking, texting everyone she knew to donate even a dollar. It paid off. Terry avoided the freezing dunk tank and raised more than $13,000.
Terry Smack and Ed Singer Photo Supplied
“My heart goes out to the kids at the Boys & Girls Club, so when I was asked to participate, I jumped in — not literally,” Terry says. She says that it was the coldest day in the history of the dunk tank event, adding that “begging paid off.”
“Terry Smack has been an incredible supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County,” Erin Bishop, the organization’s marketing director, says. “Her work with our SMART Girls program has empowered young girls with lessons on resilience and strength. She played a key role in the Women’s Club Tea Party, teaching young girls about etiquette and conversation skills in a social setting, and even gifted each participant a pearl necklace to mark the occasion.”
The dunk tank challenge is one example of how Terry immerses herself in supporting her community. Over the last 20 years, Terry has given her time, expertise, connections and contributions to positively impact the lives of others throughout Carroll County. Terry has proven that anyone can be a philanthropist and inspire positive change through small acts of kindness and giving back consistently over time. Her enduring commitment to dozens of causes and her belief that we all have a role to play in taking care of each other are reasons why we at Carroll Magazine honor Terry as our 2024 Person of the Year.
The Early Years
Terry Smack, 8th Grade, 1973 Photo Supplied by Terry Smack
Terry was born on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, the third of four children. Her parents divorced when she was young, and soon after, her mom remarried. The family moved to a suburb of Atlanta, where Terry lived until she was a young adult.
Through her teenage years and into her 20s, Terry says she hustled at various jobs because she didn’t really like school. She waitressed at a catfish restaurant, served as a “pump bunny” — a female attendant — at a gas station, drove a truck delivering auto parts to local garages and worked at Pizza Hut. She attended community college, where she took all automotive classes.
“I had a great aunt who owned a car dealership, and I got the bug from her and her husband,” Terry recalls. “My aunt was a great teacher. She taught me how to work and make money. She said, ‘You don’t get anything unless you work for it.’ My mom was the same way. It’s probably why I had all those part-time jobs.”
Terry returned to Maryland when an aunt needed help caring for some properties, including a farm. It wasn’t long before Terry was married and settled in Westminster, where she had her first daughter.
“I ended up learning a lot about saving money from my mom. That is something I learned very early on. Save for a rainy day; if you want something, you have to pay for it yourself. I am grateful for my parents. They showed me what it was like to be a productive adult,” Terry says.
When Terry’s first marriage ended, she chose to stay in Carroll County. It was Terry’s third marriage that gave her the joy of three more children, but at the same time, the hurt and turmoil that comes with living in an abusive relationship.
Turning Darkness Into Light
Terry Smack with her children Maggie, Brandon, Cody and Nicole, 1996
One of the causes especially near to Terry’s heart is support for victims and survivors of domestic violence. It has only been in recent years that Terry has started sharing her own story of the emotional, mental and physical abuse she endured in her last marriage. She said her experience was similar to many others — her husband was controlling, isolating her from family and friends and making her feel that no one would want her and that she had nothing to offer.
Terry recalls living in this beautiful big house that looked perfect from the outside but was so full of pain, sadness and fear inside. She says the incidents progressed from mostly mental abuse to eventually include physical abuse. The police were called to the house multiple times.
“It took me a long time to build up the courage to be able to leave him,” Terry says. “And when I did, I left with one bag for my three kids and me, and we lived in a hotel until I could get things figured out. It took me five years to get the divorce finalized.”
Terry Smack with fiancé Jack Holden and her children – Maggie, Brandon, Cody and Nicole.
The years that followed brought light illuminating what had been darkness, but she never forgot about her struggles. She knows the plight of individuals in violent relationships and now partners with the State’s Attorney’s office in an effort to make the journey better for others.
“Shortly after I became State’s Attorney, she met with me to discuss ways in which she could help victims of domestic violence, a cause that she is very passionate about in large part due to her backstory,” State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker Jr. says. “She has offered significant financial support for various community outreach efforts that my office undertakes, and she does it without hesitation.”
In addition to financial support, Terry also shares her story with domestic violence survivors and participates in an annual drive to pack bags with various items someone might need if they have to flee their home with little notice.
“Terry Smack is extremely deserving of this honor. In fact, I’ll take it a step further and say that I can’t think of a single person who would be more deserving. Terry has been a successful businesswoman, philanthropist and pillar of the community. She has made Carroll County a better place, and I am honored to have her as a friend.” – State’s Attorney Haven Shoemaker Jr.
Chaos and Entrepreneurship
One of Terry’s passions is motorcycle riding.
Terry had found the strength and confidence to stand on her own and she was raising four children. She was just getting started. She planted deep roots in Westminster and, after working for several companies, decided that she wanted to harness her ambition, gritty work ethic and desire to help people, by starting her own business. In 2003, she launched Terry’s Tag and Title, despite people telling her the company wouldn’t survive. She was not deterred by people underestimating her.
“People told me I would never make it because I was five miles from the closest MVA (Motor Vehicle Administration),” Terry says. “I did whatever it took for me to build that business. My friend Marcia Duffy is a State Farm agent, and she took me around to all the local offices. I met every agent so they could send me business. That’s how I got my start.”
Terry expanded her business, ultimately operating six locations in Carroll, Baltimore and Howard counties. She wears a smile as she talks about the chaos of the early days of launching a business as a divorced woman raising three young kids and supporting a daughter in college.
“My kids were in elementary school, and if they were sick, they had to go to the office with me,” she says. “The first day I had one customer. I greeted everyone with a smile. I didn’t make a salary for 18 months. I lived off my savings.”
Terry Smack and Jack Holden have been together for almost 25 years.
Terry says that she understood early on that helping people was important for both her personal and professional lives.
“That is where I learned about really giving,” Terry says. “My mom always helped people in small ways, and I saw those acts of kindness. When I started my business, I began donating services and items to car shows because I also thought it might bring me customers. It’s really important if you own a business and want people to support you. You have to support them.”
From her earliest days as an entrepreneur, Terry, her business and community service were all deeply intertwined.
Terry and her fiancé, Jack Holden, have been together for almost 25 years. A fellow entrepreneur and father to four children, Jack attributes Terry’s success to her desire to take care of people.
“All her attributes came together in her business, and she’s very much about the people. You take care of the people and serve the people around you,” Jack says.
“Terry Smack has been an incredible supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County. Her work with our SMART Girls program has empowered young girls with lessons on resilience and strength.” – Erin Bishop, Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County
An Interconnected Web of Impact
Denise Rickell, Terry Smack, Denise Beaver support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County at their Polar Dunk Tank event.
Various causes and organizations pulled at Terry’s heart as she journeyed through her life.
Terry’s mother was treated for an illness at Carroll Hospital Center, and later, Terry’s boyfriend, Jack, received cancer treatment there.
“Carroll Hospital took such good care of her. They saved her life,” Terry says, referring to the treatment her mother received. “I knew at that point how important it was to be a part of Carroll Hospital.”
Terry collaborated with the hospital to create Studio You, where cancer patients can access various support items, including mastectomy bras, breast prostheses, wigs and head coverings. Terry says she started a fund through Terry’s Tag and Title that provided anonymous financial support to Studio You clients needing assistance.
“I don’t know how much we’ve given, but it’s a lot,” Terry says. “At one point in my life, I was in a situation where I didn’t have help, and someone stepped in and helped me. This was my way to pay that kindness forward.”
Terry Smack, Jeannie Bryant, Anne Townsley, Kati Townsley, Denise Rickell attend Pink Fling to support Carroll Hospital.
In 2023, Terry sold her business but continues to provide financial support to Studio Your out of her own pocket because she believes the work is so important.
Terry supports countless causes, and because she often contributes anonymously, the full scope is never known. She is a longtime supporter of the Carroll County Youth Services Bureau’s annual Chocolate Ball fundraiser. She recently gave a large gift to help her church, and she has been known to provide financial support for small businesses trying to get off the ground.
Marcia Duffy, the State Farm agent who first provided connections to Terry, remains one of her best friends.
“If you know Terry, you know she loves her three rescue dogs. She loves driving motorcycles and Ford Mustangs. She loves the Ravens and betting against the Steelers. She loves a really good Old-Fashioned Smoked. She loves all holidays and decorating for them. She has a soft spot for the police, the military, the kids at Target Communities and startup businesses,” Marcia says. “I think more than anything, though, she loves her family and extended family and celebrates them as much as possible. She is a fun, loving, kind, crazy friend.”
Jade, Terry Smack, Evelyn, Linda Witter at a tea party for healthy life choices to support the Boys & Girls Clubs of Carroll County.
Marcia recalls various creative ways that Terry has impacted others including buying a cow at a 4-H event so that she could donate the meat to a local food bank, gathering items to pack bags for domestic violence victims, making Christmas possible for a family struggling with several children who have medical needs, and more. She noted a time that Terry covered payroll for the Historical Society of Carroll County when the organization was struggling.
“It’s important for people to know that these nonprofits aren’t rolling in the money,” Terry says. “I was on the board of the Historical Society five or six years ago and we were informed that the organization was struggling and might not be able to make payroll that month.”
While she says she felt sure people would get paid eventually, she wanted to make sure no one had to go without. She made a donation that day to cover the payroll costs.
“I don’t even remember how much it was, probably a couple thousand dollars,” Terry recalls. “I think it’s important for the people in Carroll County to have an organization like the Historical Society. I felt like it was worth it to help the organization survive a tough time.”
Terry Smack, Tina Hahn at the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event to benefit the Care Healing Center.
Terry continues to support the organization with her time and energy, volunteering to organize its 2025 gala.
“She truly loves all of the people who worked for her, going above and beyond in helping them financially, emotionally and in family support,” Marcia says. “She feels the same way about her community. Her greatest joy comes from fixing the unfixable and helping someone in need.”
Carolyn Hoff started working for Terry’s Tag and Title in 2008 and eventually became the office manager. She says she had felt Terry’s kindness firsthand and considered her a boss and a friend.
“Since I met Terry, I have been in complete awe of her generosity,” Carolyn says. “When she learns someone is in need, she goes into immediate problem-solver mode to figure out a way to help them, sometimes even doing it without that person knowing she was responsible for the help or solution.
“Terry ran her business successfully for 20 years. She did that by putting people first. She instilled in her employees to treat people the way you would want to be treated. That work ethic to this day stays with people she’s touched. My life has been forever changed by knowing her.”
Person of the Year
Terry Smack in March of 2020 at Terry’s Tag and Title in Westminster.
Terry has been honored before for the important roles she plays as an entrepreneur and a philanthropist in Carroll’s tight-knit community. Accolades she has received, among others, include the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Award in 2015; the Community Foundation’s Philanthropist of the Year in 2016; the Carroll County Good Scout Award in 2019; and the Carroll County Public Library’s Light of Carroll award in 2023.
“I’m both honored and shocked,” Terry says about being honored as Person of the Year. “I just do what I can without thinking about it. It’s especially meaningful to be recognized because I was not born or raised in this county. It means a lot to be accepted in this way.”
Those who know her best attest to her recognition as Person of the Year.
“Terry Smack is extremely deserving of this honor. In fact, I’ll take it a step further and say that I can’t think of a single person who would be more deserving,” Shoemaker says. “Terry has been a successful businesswoman, philanthropist and pillar of the community. She has made Carroll County a better place, and I am honored to have her as a friend.”
While Terry is officially retired, she still stays very busy in the community. She is looking forward to traveling and spending time with her fiancé and their combined eight adult kids and 13 grandchildren.
“Our little Carroll County is a great village,” Terry says. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I wasn’t born here, I wasn’t raised here, but I’m gonna die here.”
