AT A CEREMONY IN THE NORTHLAND
The Slovak ambassador to the U.S. recently named a Liberty man as Slovak Honorary Consul during a ceremony in the Northland.
U.S. Slovak Ambassador Radovan Javorcik officially presented the title to Terry Smitka, who has roots in the Eastern European community of Sugar Creek, where many immigrants, including Smitka’s grandparents, settled.
Smitka’s grandparents immigrated to settle in the small community of Sugar Creek, located just north of Independence, during the early 1900s to work at the Standard Oil refinery.
Smitka is only the second honorary Consul to the Slovak Republic for the Midwest region, which includes Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa.
Smitka was officially named to the position during a Feb. 17 ceremony at the Oakridge Family Social Club in Kansas City. In his new role, he will primarily promote “relationship-building initiatives” between the Slovak Republic and the U.S. and will assist Slovak nationals who are in the U.S.
Smitka, who retired this past May after 41 years as a Kansas City area financial advisor, last worked for Robert W. Baird and Company. His interest in Slovakia spans a lifetime, reaching back to his family’s ethnic roots in Slovakia. During his remarks, Slovak Ambassador Javorcik said that strengthening and maintaining connections to other countries “helps make us all better.”
The crowd of about 100 included family, friends and neighbors of Smitka including Sharon Valasek, the Consular Corps from the Slovak Embassy of the United States in Washington, D.C., the Kansas City area’s honorary consul of the Czech Republic, members of the Czech & Slovak Club of Kansas City, who also sponsored the event, and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas.
Smitka, who has been married to his wife, Pamela for 42 years and has two children and three grandchildren, addressed the crowd, stating how he is “honored to have been selected…” as honorary consul. He added that, growing up, he did not always appreciate how difficult it must have been for his ancestors to begin a new life here. However, with age, experience and after visiting Slovakia at least seven times to connect with relatives living there, he has come to understand just how much his grandparents “sacrificed” and this has helped lead him to be “dedicated to strengthening our ties” between the two countries.
Smitka, who graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a degree in business administration, has devoted his adult life to understanding his roots as a longtime member of the Czech and Slovak Geneneology Institute and the Czech and Slovak Club of Greater Kansas City, where he served as president for 15 years.
Smitka also is one of three co-founders of the WDS Educational Foundation (named for friends Tom Waggoner, David de la Fuente and Terry Smitka), a charity awarding college scholarships to students in the Kansas City area. Smitka also is past board member of the Greater Kansas City People to People Council, which has sponsored many international military students attending the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. In addition, Smitka is a member of the Knights of Columbus Chapter at St. James Catholic Church in Liberty. During one of Smitka’s trips to Hrustin, Slovakia, where his grandparents were from, city leaders honored him for promoting Slovak culture in the U.S.
