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Bio

A native of Cocoa resident, Dr. Joe Lee Smith graduated from Cocoa’s Monroe High School. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in education from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. He then obtained the rank of 1-A Educational Specialist, as well as his doctoral degree in educational administration and supervision in higher education, from the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Smith has been a member of various civic and nonprofit organizations.

He was a founder of the Central Brevard Recreation Association. He has served on boards of directors of the United Way of Brevard County, First Union/Wachovia National Bank, the Salvation Army, Circles of Care, Rolling Readers, and the Boys and Girls Club.

Among the awards he received are the Brevard Community College Distinguished Service Award; the Humanitarian Award from Onyx magazine; and the United Third Bridge Puerto Rican Taino Award for his work to advance the Hispanic community in Brevard County. He also was inducted into the Brevard County Space Coast Junior Achievement Business Hall of Fame and received the 2013 South Brevard NAACP Lifetime Achievement/Living Legend Award.

Smith has been inducted into the Florida A&M University’s Sports Hall of Fame as a baseball player, as well as into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements in sports development.

Smith, an educator, has served as provost of all four campuses of Eastern Florida State College (formerly known as Brevard Community College). During his career, Smith also has worked as a classroom teacher, coach, assistant principal, and dean.

In 2000, Smith retired from Brevard Community College as campus president emeritus. He later was recruited out of retirement to serve as provost of the Palm Bay campus. In 2017, Smith retired as BCC’s college ambassador.

He has several facilities named in his honor, including the Joe Lee Smith Recreation Center, formerly known as the Magnolia Street Park, in Cocoa. In 2012, the Dr. Joe Lee Smith Teaching Center was launched on the Melbourne campus of then-BCC. In 2015, Rockledge dedicated a portion of Edwards Drive as Dr. Joe Lee Smith Drive in recognition of his leadership in the community.