VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT: JEFF MARKIEWICZ

My wife and I retired to Leesville Lake more than three years ago. We had been coming to the lake part time for almost nine years. I grew up around boats since I was in elementary school starting with my father’s first boat, a 10-foot aluminum Jon boat with a four-horsepower outboard.

My wife wanted to retire near the mountains while I wanted to be by the water. We discovered Leesville Lake during a house hunting trip to Smith Mountain Lake, and fell in love with its beauty and quiet serenity.

I Joined the Leesville lake association and helped with “Beautification Day” lake clean ups (Leesville Lake’s version of Take Pride in Smith Mountain Lake.) After I retired, I joined the Leesville Lake board as the committee chair for Water Safety and Education. This led me to join the Smith Mountain Lake Sail and Power Squadron to become a vessel safety examiner and perform free vessel safety checks.

I joined SMLA to participate in the Water Safety Council and support safety, vessel checks and Take Pride in SML. Volunteering has allowed me to meet new people, work with and educate boaters, learn new things about boating and the lake environment. I have a new purpose in retirement while helping make Smith Mountain and Leesville Lakes safer for recreation. It has been and continues to be a wonderful journey.