Sylvia Smythe

Sylvia Smythe has over 30 years of experience as a church lay leader. In the wider community she has served as president of several non-profit boards. Throughout her professional life as a college and university educator at the University of Southern California and Citrus College, as a church leader, and with 501(c)(3) boards, she has brought diverse groups together to create new programs, work through conflicts, hire and train staff, and seek effective, collaborative solutions to problems.

In Episcopal churches Sylvia has led diverse groups to envision and create programs, including a tutoring program for local elementary schools; she has created and led music and book groups and chaired hiring committees for parish staff. She’s chaired capital campaigns and led various church committees, including serving on the Vestry and as Senior Warden.

For four years she has been the Faith Respondent for the Effective Communications and Handling Conflict module for ASU’s Best Skills Best Churches program.

Sylvia and her husband (an Episcopal priest) moved to Arizona eight years ago and are actively engaged in the Episcopal Church community.