Catching up wit: From smalltown teen to filmmaker and producer
Joey Smallwood returns for class reunion
Managing editor
He was one of those kids who was involved in sports, plays, and other activities. His infectious smile and outgoing personality made him popular and recognizable.
Yes, everyone knew Joey Smallwood — or at least knew who he was.
That was in the late 1990s, when Joey attended Marion High School, graduating in 1999.
So, where has he been these past 10 years?
Now known as Joseph Smallwood, he has been working in Los Angeles as a senior communications adviser.
How did a likable teen from Marion land in Los Angeles?
After graduation, Smallwood attended Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., to hone his acting skills.
Two years later, he attended the University of Maryland Baltimore County, earning a bachelor’s degree in English literature and writing in 2005, graduating cum laude.
From there, Smallwood worked as an assistant casting director, working two seasons with the popular television show, “Dawson’s Creek.” He also assisted with local casting of the ABC reality show, “Wife Swap,” in Washington, D.C.
Smallwood spent the next year as director of sales and creative/technical personnel in audio technology field in Gaithersburg, Md.
In the summer of 2003, he headed to California where he was production manager at Camp La Jolla.
Smallwood was a lead creative trainer for Apple Inc. in 2005, and selected to exhibit Apple’s cutting-edge HD video technology at a National Association of Broadcasters’ National Convention.
He spent a year in Baghdad, producing coverage of rapid-reaction news broadcasts in the hostile, warlike environment.
Los Angeles was calling him as a post-production supervisor for Robert Greenwald’s Brave new Films, being responsible for a 35-seat post-production facility. Smallwood was promoted to director of studio production and in charge of the construction of a television production facility, from concept to completion.
These days, Smallwood lives in Kansas City with his wife of five months, Lisa Claire, a classically trained dancer. Claire has been performing since she was 3 years old. Currently, she teaches dance to students of all ages and skill levels at Pulse Performing Arts Center in Kansas City, Mo., and works as a legal assistant at Potts Law Firm, downtown Kansas City.
The Smallwoods came home Sept. 25 and 26 for Joseph Smallwood’s 10-year class reunion — renewing past friendships.
“It was great to reconnect with familiar faces,” Smallwood said. “You know, people mature, leave behind a lot of the baggage we carried around as teenagers, and move on to more real, substantive issues and ideas.
“In the words of the ‘Sunscreen Song’, our graduation theme, ‘the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.’ I absolutely agree.”
During his time at MHS, Smallwood lived with Keith and Anne Collett of Marion. He said he would be forever grateful to them for their support and guidance.
By outward appearances, Smallwood hasn’t changed much — he is still physically fit and energetic.
Currently he works at Fort Leavenworth as a senior strategic communications advisor to the commander.
“Specifically, I work to help the soldiers, and Fort Leavenworth, tell its stories to the nations,” Smallwood said. “Now, that involves various kinds of stories to various kinds of audiences.
“In one scenario, that may be sharing our institutional goals and challenges with the Senate House Armed Services Committee. We keep them informed on the wonderful progress we’re making in educating tomorrow’s future leaders.”
Recently, Smallwood produced a pilot episode of a show, “Their Own Words,” in which a husband and wife, both pilots, collectively earned five Distinguished Flying Crosses, the highest honor awarded to pilots.
“They are the first husband and wife duo to ever win such an award,” Smallwood said, “and so their story is completely unheard of. I help the community share in the joy of that experience.”
Smallwood works for Barbaricum, a new company.
“The other side of my job is spent building and branding this new company, similar to a creative/marketing director,” he said.
Barbaricum is a Roman term meaning “beyond the known frontier.”
In a short period of time, Smallwood has traveled the U.S. and the world, doing much of it on his own terms and in his own way.
He’s clearly gone beyond the familiar frontier of Marion but kept small town ideals with him.
