In a brief LinkedIn post, Mark Smith, an award-winning technology instructor at Reed-Custer High School in Braidwood, Illinois, announced his retirement from teaching after this year. 

"New news," Smith wrote in his post, "this is my last year of teaching and the school has hired my replacement to work with [during] my last year."

Smith was most recently awarded a 2024 Wooden Globe Award by the Wood Industry Association (WIA) at the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta in early August. Smith was honored as the Educator of the Year by the WIA in recognition of his work for Reed-Custer High School. 

As the school's industrial arts teacher, he developed a curriculum that builds student interest in the industry and exposes them to the tools and methods used in modern woodworking. The curriculum at Reed-Custer High School offers coursework in Orientation to Technology; CAD 1, 2, and 3; STEM 1 and 2; CAD/CAM 1 and 2; and Production 1 and 2. These courses provide students credit toward their high school diploma, college credits, and Woodwork Career Alliance of North America credentials.

Smith has been a woodworking instructor for nearly three decades including the last six years at Reed-Custer High School in Braidwood, Illinois. In 2014, Smith was one of the first woodworking instructors to become a WCA-accredited skill evaluator. Over the years, Smith has helped hundreds of high school students earn their WCA Sawblade certificates. He is also a frequent presenter at industry events and is well-versed in using social media platforms to promote his program to the woodworking industry. 

In June, the Woodwork Career Alliance of North America selected Smith as chairman of the WCA Education Committee. Scott Nelson, president of the WCA, said, "Mark's dedication and expertise to making his woodworking student’s workforce ready makes him perfectly positioned to run the Education Committee. Under his guidance, we anticipate significant advancements in our educational initiatives. The WCA will also greatly benefit from his social media expertise."